32 



Selection still acts and always has acted for the benefit of indivi- 

 duals only. 



I believe that the order of Nature is and always has been well 

 balanced, though arranged by no superior intelligence, while 

 numerous destructive creatures let loose by Natural Selection to 

 live by destruction, are still, as always before, neither too many, 

 nor too few. " Things that are equal to the same, are equal to 

 one another." 



I believe that " the modified offspring from the more highly 

 improved branches in the line of descent will, it is probable, often 

 take the place of, and so destroy, the earlier and less improved 

 branches :" but I cannot tell you what I mean by " improving 

 animals," nor when an animal is "less improved" than it ought 

 to be. I cannot tell you of any animal that would be better for 

 improving, nor what improvement it needs, nor how I would im- 

 prove it. How can I tell you when I have elsewhere said 

 myself, "Wh'o will pretend that he knows the history of any 

 organised being sufficiently well to say whether any particular 

 change would be to its advantage?" And, again, " What advan- 

 tage would it be to an earth-worm to be highly organised?" No, 

 I cannot tell you what advantage it would be to a camel to be 

 turned into a lion, or an ostrich into a hawk. That is their affair, 

 not mine. 



I believe, however, for all that, that "the ultimate result will 

 be that each creature will tend to become more and more improved 

 in relation to its condition of life." No doubt these assertions 

 are self contradictory, but so let them be. They are none the 

 worse for that ; are they ? 



I believe, yes I believe, that this improvement will take place 

 with the greater number of beings throughout the world. You 

 may reply that in that case there would in tune be no more 

 Natural Selection, her work being done; and you may ask me 

 what will be the next step ? Possum non mi recordo. 



I believe in these improvements and transformations, but I 

 cannot at present explain to you how a transformed animal is an 

 improved one. You may say that a camel turned into a horse is 

 not therefore " improved." If I choose to say it is, is not that 

 enough? 



