et Ivibccillitate Darwiniana. 83 



into balls. Yet after a while, this turkey 

 learned how to use them, and it ran about 

 on its stumps like Sir Hugh Witherington, 

 better than its brothers and sisters. But 

 this could not happen with a spider. Un- 

 less we had been there to see, we could 

 never understand the genesis of species in 

 cases where organisation is closely correlated 

 in its parts. A horse could exist with other 

 feet, but not a spider: it could not exist 

 without just the feet it has and no others. 

 Large animals are susceptible of consider- 

 able alteration in parts without any vital 

 consequences : and this is one of the things 

 that deceived Darwin : but not insects. 

 They are far more strictly and undeni- 

 ably instruments for the performance of 

 ends. In insects, above all, Nature shows 

 her power, and in them above all appears 

 the ineffable absurdity of ' Natural Selec- 

 tion.' A little investigation of insects is 



