188 REV. G. F. WHIDBORNE, M.A., ON QUESTIONS INVOLVED 
I thank the lecturer much for his important contribution to our 
study and investigation of the subject. 
Mr. Mariin Rovuse.—l am much struck with the various 
arguments that have been advanced on this subject. I never 
heard before that if extreme evolution were true, we should just 
as much expect to see in the different epochs of geological 
development, species all reverting into one form as that one form 
should come in many species. Why should not we find in 
successive ages, here and there, a number of species converging 
into one form just as much as we should expect them to be 
diverging—if evolution were true ? 
Again, the speaker said that sexual selection was a change—an 
individual variation. 
I do not know exactly who it was who said that whereas, as one 
speaker just stated, fanciers make various breeds of animals, as 
for instance, dogs, these dogs do not select one another according 
to their finer qualities. A large dog does not necessarily inter- 
breed with a large dog, or a long-legged one with a long-legged 
one, or a dog with a fine sense of smell and long nose with a 
similarly created one; but they all interbreed promiscuously, 
which is downright contrary to the idea of sexual selection such 
as Darwin sets forth. As Lord Salisbury put it at Oxford, when 
presiding over the British Association, can you conceive that two 
rabbits, say one at one extremity of a forest, and the other at 
the other, should pass over all the intermediate individuals in 
order that they might meet and preserve the finest specimens of 
their race P 
The CuairMAn.—I must now ask Mr. Whidborne to reply. 
Rev. G. F. Wuipporne.—I cordially thank you for the hearty 
and, indeed, for the most kind way in which you have received 
my paper, and especially the Chairman, Professor Hull, Mr. Rouse, 
aud Professor Orchard, for their very kind remarks. Having said 
that I really think I have nothing left to say, because I have not 
had any scoldings or adverse criticism. I thoroughly agree with 
Professor Hull’s remarks. 
Mr, Rouse.—Excuse me; but there is one thing I meant to have 
said and which I should like to mention now. 
I know it is a scientific fact discovered by some eminent 
naturalist, that in the primrose, to turn to botany, there are in 
some specimens long stamens with shorter pistils, and in others 
