v.] SPECIFIC STABILITY. I39 



more than four-fifths died within tho first few days, or at 

 latest weeks, ' without any obvious cause, apparently from 

 mere inabihty to live,' so that from five liundred eggs only 

 twelve chickens were reared. The early death of hybrid 

 eml)ryos probably occurs in like manner mtli plants, at least 

 it is known that hybrids raised from very distinct species 

 arc sometimes weak and dw^arfed, and j)crish at an early 

 age, of whicli fact Max Wichura has recently given some 

 striking cases with hybrid willows." 



Mr. Darwin objects to the notion that there is any 

 special sterility imposed to check specific intermixture and 

 cliangc, saying,"" " To grant to species the special power 

 of jModucing liyl)ri(ls, and then to stop tlicir further propa- 

 gation by difiercnt degrees of sterility, not stri(;tly related 

 to the facility of the first union between their parents, seems 

 a strange arrangement." 



But this only amounts to saying that the author him- 

 self would not have so acted had he been the Creator. A 

 " strange arrangement " must be admitted anyhow, and all 

 who acknowledge teleology at all, must admit that the 

 strange arrangement was designed. Mr. Darwin says, as 

 to the sterility of species, that the cause lies exclusively in 

 their sexual constitution; but all that need be afiirmed is 

 that sterility is brought about somehow, and it is undenia- 

 ble that " crossing" is checked. All that is contended for 

 is that there is a bar to the intermixture of species, but not 

 of breeds ; and if the conditions of the generative products 

 arc that bar, it is enough for the aigument, no special kind 

 of barring action being contended for. 



He, however, attempts to account for the modification 

 of the sexual products of species as compared with those 

 of varieties, by the exposure of the former to more uniform 

 conditions during longer periods of time than those to which 

 varieties are exi)osed, and (hat as wild animals, when cap- 



20 "Origin of Species," 5th edit., 1809, p. 314. 



