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CHAPTER XIV. 



NATURAL SELECTION OF SPECIES. 



THE outcome of the struggle for existence is, 

 as we have seen, the elimination of the less 

 fit ; but the selection of races is determined 

 more by conditions of existence than by direct 

 conflict between competing species more by 

 quality of soil and climate than by a direct 

 struggle between individuals of different 

 races. 



We believe that by natural law every 

 locality tends to produce the most highly 

 organised race of animal or plant that its 

 soil, climate, and other conditions can ade- 

 quately support. In other words, Nature 

 automatically selects the race that makes 

 the greatest demands on resources she can 

 supply, and thus determines the predomin- 

 ance of a particular species of animal or 

 plant in a locality. 



In civilised countries the distribution of 

 the larger mammalia is due to man's inter- 



