138 THE FALLACIES OP NATURAL SELECTION. 



species are subjected, are favorable ; that the organisms 

 have an abundance of food, a healthy climate and all 

 the other requisites of a propitious habitat ; and, that 

 they suffer not from a ruinous competition. Even 

 these circumstances, however, would but argue, that 

 the individuals held their own. 



If, however, the fact be ; or, if the presence of un- 

 favorable conditions imply; that all of the individuals, 

 of such species, are degenerating, the mere Selection 

 of those which are the least degenerate, cannot argue 

 any advance in development. If, again, the fact be ; 

 or the nature of the conditions imply ; that some of 

 the individuals have degenerated, and that some do 

 but hold their own, the mere selection of those, which 

 do but hold their own, cannot argue advance in devel- 

 opment. 



Now, Darwin, represents the conditions, under na- 

 ture, to be very unfavorable. In fact, it was absolutely 

 incumbent upon him to picture them, as well nigh fear- 

 ful, in order that they should work the extinction of 

 those which prove the weakest. Yet, those individuals, 

 the elect, which have been, similarly with the weakest, 

 subjected to these conditions, he pretends, are advanc- 

 ing in development ! 



Let the reader fancy his emotion, were he the owner 

 of live stock, and were his farmer to assure him that he 

 "reckoned," that the stock were improving, because 

 (sic) the conditions, to which all of the herd were sub- 

 jected, had long been so hard and rigorous, that all of the 

 weaker ones were being killed off; and, as the strong- 

 est and" most vigorous (?) were the only individuals, of 



