THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES 213 



proceeding " ; it is distinct from the natural variation 

 present in every offspring the result of fusion of distinct 

 male and female elements. It is direct modification, and 

 harmonious with the modifying force or forces. 



Any acquired variation must be peculiarly favourable 

 for the life of the organism possessing it, or eminently suit- 

 able for life in the environmental conditions which produced 

 the variation ; but not for the continued existence of the 

 species generally, and without regard to environment. 



Environment varies between extreme hostility and 

 extreme friendliness, and it is clear that in its innumerable 

 forms it can destroy, hinder, or push on development. But 

 whether an Individual is weeded out or perishes, or survives 

 to wax great and multiply, is not owing to the absence or 

 presence of variations peculiarly favourable for the preserva- 

 tion of the species as a whole, but is fundamentally a question 

 of environmental fitness. 



It is wrong to classify living Individuals as Fit and 

 Unfit. The adjectives should have an environmental appli- 

 cation. The matter is one of Fit and Unfit environments. 

 The first life on this globe must have sprung into being as 

 the fittest response to the environmental forces which 

 produced it. But these forces being themselves variable in 

 nature and action, developing multiplying Life must have 

 harmoniously responded to their influence by exhibiting 

 acquired variation. In fact, no sooner can Life have 

 originated than Environment must have begun to weed it 

 out as well as have continued to encourage it. 



The Bible parable of the Sower illustrates our meaning 

 well. The seed was all fit to begin with, but its fate 

 depended on the nature of the environment into which it 

 fell. That which fell into good ground and sprang up an 

 hundredfold was initially no better than that which fell 

 upon stony ground, or amongst thorns. The fitness or 

 unfitness was the environment's. " Those on whom the 

 tower of Siloam fell " were no worse than their neighbours ; 

 they had the misfortune to enter a hostile environment. 



Man, it is true, can select and cross Individuals possessing 

 transmissible variations, and in this way fix new varieties ; 

 but man here only acts as a selector of Individuals, and it 

 is not really his selection whioh produces the new varieties. 



