The Making of Species 
writes D. Dewar on page 707 of The Albany 
Review, vol. ii., “the struggle for existence were 
of the nature of a race at a well-regulated athletic 
meeting, where the competitors are given a fair 
start, where there is no difference in the condi- 
tions to which the various runners are subjected, 
then indeed would every variation tell. I would 
rather liken the struggle for existence to the rush 
to get out of a crowded theatre, poorly provided 
with exits, when an alarm of fire is given. The 
people to escape are not necessarily the strongest 
of those present. Propinquity to a door may be 
a more valuable asset than strength.” 
Or again, we may take the imaginary case of 
some antelopes being pursued by wolves. The 
chase, being prolonged, brings the antelopes to a 
locality with which they are not familiar. The 
foremost of the herd, the most swift, and there- 
fore the individual which should stand the best 
chance of survival, suddenly finds himself on soft 
boggy ground, which, owing to the depth to 
which his feet sink into the soil, seriously 
impedes his progress. His fellow antelopes, 
now outdistanced, seeing his predicament, take 
another course and soon leave him behind, to 
fall an easy prey to his foes. Here we have a 
case of the perishing of the most fit as regards 
the important point of speed. 
Writing of plants, Professor Henslow says, on 
page 16 of The Heredity of Acquired Characters 
48 
