THE FALLACIES OP NATURAL SELECTION. 139 



the herd, which could endure, at all, the effects of the 

 climate, of the rough treatment, of the insufficient food, 

 and of the bitter competition prevailing to obtain the 

 necessaries of life, the breed must eventually offer 

 many prize animals; because, "the strongest and most 

 vigorous,'' only, would survive, to produce offspring. 

 Even if the reader cared, only to raise a few, from the 

 herd, which might be capable of taking a prize, would 

 not his fears be justly and reasonably provoked for 

 these, by such a statement? and would not he be thank- 

 ful, under the circumstances, if the result showed, that 

 "the strongest and most vigorous " had but managed 

 to hold their own? It would be absurd, in the absence 

 of a special excuse, to fancy any farmer talking and 

 arguing, in such a manner. Yet, such a farmer would 

 display, to the full, as much intelligence and sense, as 

 does Darwin, in propounding his theory of Natural 

 Selection. 



The problem of Selection resolves itself into the 

 question: What are the conditions? do they imply 

 development? or do they imply degeneration? or, do 

 they imply any more than that the individuals hold 

 their own ? 



Ask any farmer, of even inferior intelligence, if the 

 mere Selection of the best animals, of a herd, will pro- 

 duce advance in development; and, he will, before 

 answering, desire to know, under what conditions, 

 favorable or adverse, the herd is placed. If the whole 

 herd be degenerating, and if the elect are but those 

 which are least degenerated, he will laugh at the idea 

 of advance in development; and assure his questioner 



