CHAPTER IX 

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FROM the late Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace's Darwinism we 

 cull the following interesting data : 



It is, however, when we come to true fruits (in a popular sense) that 

 we find varied colours evidently intended to attract animals, in order that 

 the fruits may be eaten, while the seeds pass through the body undigested 

 and are then in the fittest state for germination. This end has been gained 

 in a great variety of ways, and with so many corresponding adaptations 

 as to leave no doubt as to the value of the result. Fruits are pulpy or 

 juicy, and usually sweet, and form the favourite food of innumerable 

 birds and some mammals. 



I should say that we have here evidence of biologically 

 " good " attractions, " good " habits, " good " adaptations in 

 short of fundamentally good bio-social relations well worth 

 distinguishing from " bad," i.e., wasteful and sanguinary relations 

 such as are usually associated with " The Struggle for Existence." 



For Dr. Wallace, however, such distinctions as " illth " or 

 " wealth " of organic relations did not exist. He was " out " 

 to demonstrate " The Struggle for Existence," irrespective of 

 any distinctions of appetites, although these are easily first among 

 determinants of evolution. Could he but have seen that the 

 " fondness " of birds and mammals for fruits is anything but 

 accidental, but is based, in effect, upon affinities of primordial 

 and transcendent bio-economic and bio-social importance, totally 

 different in character from those existing between carnivores 

 and their prey ; could he but have recognised that the nobler 

 food attraction, associated as it is with service, represents a case 

 of Symbiosis, involving a high order of Economics, whilst the 

 carnivorous attractions involve an opposite and inferior system 

 of natural Economics ; could he but have surmised that the 

 apparent " intention " on the part of the fruit to be " eaten " 

 (" devoured " is the expression he more commonly uses) by the 

 useful animal, has to do with positive biological co-operation, 

 and is founded upon antecedent co-operative evolution rather 

 than upon any suddenly developed capacity of design on the 



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