CHAPTER III 

 SELECTION AND ITS IMPORTANCE 



The principle of selection involves some method by which 

 one or more animals are selected for specific purposes. The 

 scientist recognizes two great classes of selection, one, natural; 

 the other, artificial. 



Natural selection is the process in operation among wild 

 animals by which individuals choose or select their mates. 

 Force is an important medium under such circumstances. 

 A good example of the apphcation of natural selection is 

 found with the deer. The males fight among themselves 

 to determine which shall be master of the herd, and the 

 strongest, most masterful secures the leadership. This is 

 what is sometimes termed "the survival of the fittest." 

 Among all wild animals a similar method of selection exists 

 to a more or less degree. This system weeds out the weakly, 

 inferior animals and promotes the vitahty of the race. Refer- 

 ring to this subject, Henry Drummond states:* "The 

 object of the survival of the fittest is to produce fitness, and 

 it does so, both negatively and positively. In the first place 

 it produces fitness by killing ofi^ the unfit. Without the 

 rigorous weeding out of the imperfect the progress of the 

 world had not been possible. If fit and unfit indiscriminately 

 had been allowed to live and reproduce their kind, every 

 improvement which any individual might acquire would be 

 degraded to the common level in the course of a few genera- 

 tions. Progress can start only by one or two individuals' 

 shooting ahead of their species, and their life gain can be 

 conserved only by their being shut off from their species or 

 by their species being shut off from them." Again he says: 

 "If a given number must die, that number must be singled 



*The Ascent of Man. 



29 



