THE FALLACIES OE NATURAL SELECTION. 151 



presumption, respecting animals under Man's care, 

 especial note has been taken of the selection ; the 

 favorable conditions remaining understood. Darwin 

 has carried the idea of Selection, to organisms under 

 nature ; and, availing himself of the circumstance, that 

 the favorable conditions, have long been only tacitly 

 understood^ in drawing the presumption of advance in 

 development, he has, in a field where favorable condi- 

 tions do not obtain, — where unfavorable conditions 

 confessedly prevail, aye, where the other condition of 

 the presumption (namely, Selection) cannot obtain 

 where favorable conditions exist, — illegitimately helped 

 himself to the presumption of advance in development, 

 which holds good, only where there are favorable con- 

 ditions to imply such advance in development. Under 

 domestication, "the stronger and more vigorous," of 

 'any one generation, are usually . stronger and more 

 vigorous (where selection is exercised) than the indi- 

 viduals of the preceding generation. Darwin, affects 

 to believe, that all that is necessary, in order to prove 

 advance under nature, is to show Selection; as that, 

 generally, is all that seemingly needs to be done, under 

 domestication. But, the implication, which attends the 

 fact of Selection, under domestication, does not attend 

 the same fact under nature ; for, under domestication, 

 there is an advance in development, which is implied 

 by the favorable conditions under domestication: 

 Whereas, the conditions under nature, — aye, the very 

 conditions which, according to the argument needs 

 must be very adverse, to work the Selection which is 

 designed to prove the advance in development, — imply 



