136 THE FALLACIES OP NATURAL SELECTION. 



occasional, marked variations did arise under nature, 

 and as many arose there as are known to arise under 

 domestication, and even though Natural Selection 

 were proven to be fully competent, in itself, to pre- 

 serve and accumulate these variations; the accumula- 

 tion of such variations, by means of Natural Selection, 

 could not proceed to the extent necessary to evolve 

 one species into another; because the presumption, 

 before adverted to — arising from the very conditions 

 under which, Darwin says, Natural Selection works, — 

 arising from rudimentary, reduced and wholly sup- 

 pressed organs which, Darwin admits, are so rife 

 among all animals and plants — and arising from the 

 absence of any other scientific explanation of the 

 variations — is, that such occasional variations are due 

 to Reversion ; that, in consequence, they are limited to 

 the number and kind which the given species once 

 lost; and that their accumulation by Natural Selection, 

 beyond the number and kind once lost, is impossible. 



First : Now, with respect to the first point, Does the 

 extinction of the weakest, and the selection of "the 

 strongest and most vigorous " prove any, even the 

 slightest advance in development ? 



As Darwin alleges Natural Selection to be the 

 analogue of Man's Selection, it is well, first, to ascer- 

 tain the conditions under which Man'.s Selection 

 works; and, to see whether Man's Selection implies 

 any advance in development. 



The Selection of certain inviduals, under man's 

 care, for breeding purposes, is generally held to induce 

 the improvement of the animals. 



