140 Life and Love. 



Natural selection and sexual selection doubtless 

 help to determine which of the numerous forms 

 constantly arising shall continue. Among the 

 plants, as we have seen, the insect makes itself a 

 Providence, determining form, color, odor. And 

 among certain animals man performs a similar 

 office, taking the place of Nature in creating cir- 

 cumstances for his own purposes or fancy, and by 

 knowledge of the laws of inheritance and repro- 

 duction causing the animal type to vary at his will. 



Desiring to develop certain characteristics, he 

 removes the animal from surroundings unfavorable 

 to such development. Plump cattle being advan- 

 tageous to him, he feeds and shelters his flock so 

 that the more tender may survive as readily as 

 any ; then by selecting those males and females 

 most prone to accumulate fat, he obtains in time a 

 breed of animals easily fattened and of tender 

 flesh. If milk is his object, he proceeds in the 

 same way, feeding abundantly, and sheltering, 

 knowing that nutriment and warmth are conducive 

 to reproductive activity; and selects for breeding 

 purposes the best milk-givers and their male off- 

 spring. 



Thus has man made himself a' Providence in 

 the case of many of the lower animals, modifying 

 them in almost any way he pleases by continual 

 selection. He has developed long-horned, and 

 short-horned cattle, short-legged sheep and almost 

 no-legged pigs; has modified the coats of sheep 



