NATURAL SELECTION AND " SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST." 91 



question of origin, but only of the distribution of existing species 1 y 

 means of natural selection." 



Professor Darwin goes on to say : — " The struggle for life amongst 

 forms possessing a greater or less degree of adaptation to slowly varying 

 conditions is held to explain the gradual transmutation of species." 



But, in originating new varieties and species, the struggle for life is 

 really not required at all. Indeed, new varieties arise much better 

 without it, as every horticulturist knows and takes care that it should 

 be so. 



Nor need the conditions be assumed to be •• slowly varying." New 

 conditions are secured much more readily and actually by migration. 

 The seeds of plants may reach very different surroundings by being trans- 

 ported by birds, wind, and water. They then respond to, and grow up in 

 adaptation to, those conditions, or else, if they cannot do so, they must 

 perish. 



Professor Darwin's words imply that while some variations may arise 

 with favourable adaptations, others may be ill-adapted. 



This has been long shown to be" erroneous. Experiments prove 

 that all the seedlings of a plant vary alike and in direct response to 

 the new conditions. This fact pn^s natural selection, as a means in the 

 origin of species, out of court, for there are no different or u indefinite " 

 variations from which may be selected the best fitted to survive. 



Natural selection, in Darwin's sense, and self-adaptation are therefore 

 mutually exclusive. Darwin, however, was not concerned with the origin 

 of variations ; but by assuming that they were indefinite, i.e. good, bad, 

 and indifferent, then natural selection would " select " the best fitted to 

 survive. 



Xo instance of indefinite variation has ever been known to exist in 

 nature ; whereas all experimental evidence favours definite variation, 

 i.e. in direct adaptation to the environment ; when, as Darwin himself 

 said, " a new subvariety would be produced without the aid of natural 

 selection." * But natural selection in the true application of the term, 

 as already stated, is universal ; and it is my object to illustrate its 

 action (speaking metaphorically, of course) in various ways. 



In the first place, instead of using Darwin's expression, the " Survival 

 of the Fittest " among different plants competing with one another, 

 a more appropriate phrase would be " the best adapted under the 

 circumstances." 



Commencing with seeds, myriads never germinate at all, both of wild 

 and cultivated plants. For example, in the midland counties, arable 

 land has largely been converted to pasture, while the old method of 

 surface drainage by "stiches"' or "ridge and furrow" has been retained, 

 i.e. the land is raised in parallel ridges with shallow troughs or furrows 

 between them. On these ridges the bulbous buttercup. Ranunculus 

 bulbosus, being a xerophytic plant, abounds ; but it fails to appear in the 

 furrows, which are about two feet wide. Now it would be absurd to 

 maintain that the seeds could not reach the furrows. On the other hand, 

 the field buttercup, B. acris, favours them, as they are moister than the 

 ridges. 



* Animals and Plants under Domestication, ii. 271 : see Postscript. 



