NATURAL SELECTION 83 



sessing it an advantage over the parent stock in the 

 struggle for existence. 



Third, the individuals possessing the favorable vari- 

 ation must be cross-sterile with the parent stock, 

 otherwise the variation will be " funded into a com- 

 mon stock, and the type preserved unchanged.' 



Fourth, the individuals with the favorable variation 

 must be fertile with each other. 



Fifth, these individuals with the same favorable 

 variation must find each other so that they can pro- 

 pagate their kind, a thing that would hardly take 

 place if they were few, as they probably would be, 

 and were scattered over a wide territory. 



All of these things are assumed in face of the fact 

 that variation increases instead of decreasing fei'tility. 

 Besides, as already shown, it becomes necessary to 

 assume that the remarkable fact of cross-sterility of 

 parent and offspring has occurred an infinite number 

 of times in order to produce all species. 



This idea must therefore be regarded as most "pro- 

 lific" in order to meet the demands of the theory of 

 evolution. 



It is assumed by Darwin and by evolutionists gener- 

 ally, that the formation of a species takes places very 

 slowly, by innumerable slight variations. If this view 

 is accepted, together with that of Romanes, then 

 cross-sterility between parent and offspring must be 

 the overwhelming rule instead of the exception, in 

 order to keep the very slight variations from being 

 lost by mingling with the parent form. We know, 

 -however, that it is not the rule, nor is it even known, 

 so far as 1 am informed, that there are exceptional 

 cases among animals where a variety in nature is 

 cross-sterile with the parent, but fertile with those of 

 its own kind. 



