SELECTION: ORGANIC AND SOCIAL 189 



of the single drone that overtakes the queen-bee 

 in her nuptial flight — all the others being left to 

 die non-reproductive. 



Darwin summed up the theory in a couple of 

 sentences : " As many more individuals of each 

 species are born than can possibly survive, and 

 as, consequently, there is frequently recurring 

 struggle for existence, it follows that any being, 

 if it vary however slightly in any manner profitable 

 to itself, imder the complex and sometimes varying 

 conditions of life, will have a better chance of 

 surviving, and thus be naturally selected. From 

 the strong principle of inheritance any selected 

 variety will tend to propagate its new and modified 

 form." 



The Theory op Natural Selection to be 

 tested as an interpretative tormula. — for 

 what has occurred in the past the theory of natural 

 selection can never be proved ; we can only show 

 that it offers a reasonable interpretation, that it is 

 a formula that fits. In the case of many of the 

 most remarkable adaptations, such as those of 

 mimicry and protective resemblance, it is the only 

 interpretation in the field that has any approach to 

 feasibiUty. 



In regard to what is going on at present, several 

 attempts have been made (as we, shall see later) 

 to catch natural selection at work, to prove the 

 occurrence of discriminate elimination with refer- 

 ence to a particular character, to show that what 

 determines that one organism should be taken 

 and another left is that the first lacked something 

 which the survivor has. This is extremely im- 

 portant, for it is " as easy as winking " to imagine 

 possible utihties for a particular character, whereas 



