CHAPTER II 
SOME OF THE MORE IMPORTANT OBJECTIONS TO 
THE THEORY OF NATURAL SELECTION 
Brief statement of Theory—Objections to the Theory fall into two 
classes—Those which strike at the root of the Theory—Those 
which deny the all-sufficiency of Natural Selection—Objec- 
tions which strike at root of Theory are based on mis- 
conception—Objections to Wallaceism—The Theory fails 
to explain the origin of Variations—Natural Selection called 
on to explain too much—Unable to explain beginnings of 
new organs—The Theory of change of function—The co- 
ordination of variations—The fertility of races of domesticated 
animals—Missing links—Swamping effects of intercrossing 
—Small variations cannot have a survival value— Races 
inhabiting same area—Excessive specialisation—Chance and 
Natural Selection—Struggle for existence most severe among 
young animals—Natural Selection fails to explain mimicry 
and other phenomena of colour—Conclusion, that scarcely 
an organism exists which does not possess some feature 
inexplicable on the theory of Natural Selection as held by 
Wallace and his followers. 
HE burden of proof is on him who 
asserts” is a rule of evidence 
which the man of science should 
apply as rigidly as does the lawyer. 
It is therefore incumbent upon us to prove our 
assertion that the theory of natural selection 
does not afford an adequate explanation of all 
the varied phenomena observed in the organic 
world. 
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