The 



A Penny Weekly Magazine of Natural History. 



No. 117. 



FEBRUARY 4th, 1882. 



Vol. 3. 



DARWINISM. 



Fourth Paper. 



WE have now to consider the influ- 

 ences that operate, in causing a 

 domesticated animal to lose the peculi- 

 arities it had acquired, and revert again 

 to the original form. "We have already 

 said that the fact that such reversion 

 takes place, has been used as an argu- 

 ment in favour of the immutability of 

 species. It was considered to be a 

 proof that though from one cause or 

 another an apparent change had been 

 made, it was not a real change, and the 

 species was still as at first. It was 

 supposed to be as though it had merely 

 put on another garment, below which 

 the original form was unchanged. We 

 do not know what evidence has been 

 brought forward to support the propo- 

 sition, but if it be assumed, as may 

 safely be done, that the wild form of an 

 animal is that most suited to its place 

 in nature, then it is manifest that when 

 a domestic variety runs wild, it must in 

 one way or another adapt itself to cir- 

 cumstances, or it will die out or be 

 killed off. If we could suppose that a 

 large number of tame white rabbits with 

 lop ears, were set at liberty on a place 

 suitable for rabbits such as we find wild 



now, it is very easy to see what would 

 happen. Their colour would render 

 them conspicuous to those animals that 

 prey upon them. Their hearing being 

 less acute and their motions slower, they 

 would more easily become victims. 

 Their power of resisting cold, and ability 

 to provide themselves with food would 

 be much less than in wild rabbits, and 

 thus numbers of them would die off. 

 Of the first succeeding generation those 

 would be more likely to survive that 

 were less conspicuous in colour, that 

 could use their ears to more advantage, 

 that could run quicker, and that were 

 hardier in constitution. All or any of 

 these things would give the possessor 

 an advantage over the others. The 

 duller coloured rabbit would be less 

 easily seen by its destroyer. The rabbit 

 that heard quicker would be aware of 

 the danger earlier than that whose ears 

 were duller. A start by a single second 

 was life, delay by a second was 

 death. If both started together the 

 rabbit able to run faster or turn quicker 

 would escape, while the other would be 

 devoured. The hardier rabbit would 

 bear cold that killed the other, would 

 survive on less food, or of poorer quality. 

 Thus, at the very beginning, all those, 



