THE FALLACIES OF NATURAL SELECTION. 159 



manifestly is a process of degeneration — should, in the 

 order of time, precede Natural Selection; which is 

 assumed to be a process of growth or of development. 

 So, by the very terms of Darwin's argument, the 

 strong presumption arises, that the increments of de- 

 velopment — assumed to be the outcome of the selec- 

 tion of "the stronger and more vigorous " — are but 

 the mere regain of what was lost by the degeneration 

 so forcibly implied by the Struggle for Existence 

 which preceded the action of Natural Selection. 



But, the fact, of such degeneration, is not left to im- 

 plication alone. Darwin shows explicitly, in his detail 

 of a multitude of " rudimentary organs," and of "long- 

 lost characters,' 7 that such degeneration actually did 

 precede the action of Natural Selection. 



It was open to Darwin, also to contend, that the 

 Struggle for Existence implied advances in develop- 

 ment, upon the principle that increase of activity often 

 induces increase of growth in an organ. But, assuming 

 such increase of structure, this is equally an instance 

 of begging the question at issue. The presumption is, 

 that such increase is but the regain of what was once 

 lost. Any argument, of indefinite development, based 

 upon such assumed increase of structure, would beg 

 the question, by assuming, that the increase was a new 

 development, in the given species. Darwin speaks of 

 ducks which, by reason of their habitat having been 

 removed to the highlands, have rudimentary, webbed 

 feet. Place these ducks in an environment, where they 

 may paddle, ad lib., in the water; then argue from the 

 re-development of the web in their feet, that, given 



