1867.] Creation hy Law. 483 



sufficient to account for them His theory seems 



to be far better than a mere theory — to be an established scientific 

 truth — in so far as it accounts, in part at least, for the success and 

 establishment and spread of new Forms tvhen they have arisen. 

 But it does not even suggest the law under which, or by or accord- 

 ing to which, such new Forms are introduced. Natural Selection 

 can do nothing, except with the materials presented to its hands. 

 It cannot select except among the things open to selection. . . . 

 Strictly speaking, therefore, Mr. Darwin's theory is not a theory 

 on the Origin of Species at all, but only a theory on the causes 

 which lead to the relative success or failure of such new forms as 

 may be born into the world."* 



In this and many other passages in his work the Duke of 

 Argyll sets forth his idea of Creation as a " Creation by birth," but 

 maintains that each birth of a new form from parents differing from 

 itself, has been produced by a special interference of the Creator in 

 order to direct the process of development into certain channels ; 

 that each new species is in fact a "special creation," although 

 brought into existence through the ordinary laws of reproduction. 

 He maintains therefore that the laws of multiplication and variation 

 cannot furnish the right kinds of materials at the right times for 

 natural selection to work on. I believe that it can be logically 

 proved from the six axiomatic laws before laid down, that such 

 materials would be furnished ; but I prefer to show that there are 

 abundance of facts which prove the same thing. 



The experience of all cultivators of plants and breeders of 

 animals shows, that when a sufficient number of individuals are 

 produced variations of any required kind can always be met with. 

 On this depends the possibility of obtaining breeds, races, and fixed 

 varieties of animals and plants, and it is found that any one form of 

 variation may be accumulated by selection without materially affect- 

 ing the other characters of the species ; each seems to vary in the 

 one required direction only. For example, in turnips, radishes, 

 potatoes, and carrots, the root or tuber varies in size, colour, form, 

 and flavour, while the foliage and flowers seem to remain almost 

 stationary ; in the cabbage and lettuce, on the contrary, the foliage 

 can be modified into various forms and modes of growth, the 

 root, flower, and fruit remaining little altered ; in the cauliflower 

 and brocoli the flower heads vary ; in the garden pea the pod only 

 changes. We get innumerable forms of fruit in the apple and pear, 

 while the leaves and flowers remain undistinguishable ; the same 

 occurs in the gooseberry and garden currant. Directly however 

 (in the very same genus) we want the flower to vary in the Eibes 

 sanguineus, it does so, although mere cultivation for hundreds of 



* ' Keign of Law/ p. 230. 



