246 GEOEGE JOHN ROMANES 1888- 



of any other specific peculiarity ; and also if ' survival ' 

 were recognised to be a matter of degree, consisting 

 in the greater or less representation of an individual 

 in following generations. This, of course, would 

 be a different explanation from that of physiological 

 selection, in which mutual sterility is regarded as the 

 original cause of the differentiation of parts of a 

 species, and also from sexual selection, in which 

 something different from automatic survival is indi- 

 cated by the word ' selection.' 



From the Bev. P. N. Waggett. 



The Charterhouse Mission, Tabard Street, S.E. 



This is how I should put it systematically. 



The number of ova produced in any female is 

 regulated by natural selection. It is no more than 

 the number which is required to obtain a sufficient 

 percentage of fertilised ova. 



The number fertilised on the average is no more 

 than is necessary to provide (against death of off- 

 spring, failure of birth, &c.) for the representation 

 of the female in the species. 



The average of meetings with the male is in the 

 same way not more than enough to provide (against 

 accidents, &c.) for the maternity of the female. 



All this is pared down as close as it will go by 

 natural selection. The enormous production of eggs 

 is not one more than enough on average to provide 

 against all the eliminations. 



