THE THEORY 7 
alone survive—if the law of the survival of 
the fittest be true—then this law must also 
apply to pairs, families, or other societies of 
individuals, either temporary or permanent. 
Ifa pair A is better able to fit the environ- 
ment of the species than pair B, then pair A 
will have a better chance of survival, and so 
of reproducing themselves, than pair B. The 
male of pair A may not be better than the 
male of pair B, or the female of pair A than 
the female of pair B; it is the combination 
that matters and not the individuals. 
So with all societies. If a community of bees 
A possess, as a variation, a character which 
enables them to better resist their enemies 
than a community B not possessing this varia- 
tion, then community A will survive and 
reproduce, whilst B will succumb. In fact, 
directly individuals form themselves into socie- 
ties, whatever be the bond, whether close or 
very slight, then they at once cease to be 
units re natural selection, ve the survival of 
the fittest ; the society, the pair or the family 
at once becomes the unit. Males may be 
perhaps compared with males, females with 
females—-this male may be said to be 
fitter than that ; but as long as the association 
lasts, an individual’s mate is as much a part 
