516 STRUCTURE AND LIFE HISTORIES 
The dandelion from the seed that germinates first secures 
the best light; the one that sends down the longest and 
most vigorous root-system, that produces the largest, most 
rapidly growing leaves will survive, and will tend to trans- 
mit its vigorous qualities to its progeny. Less vigorous 
or less "fit" individuals perish. To this phenomenon 
Herbert Spencer applied the phrase, "survival of the fit- 
test." Darwin called it "natural selection," because it 
was analogous to the artificial selection of favored types 
by breeders of plants and animals. It will be readily seen, 
however, that the process in nature is not so much a selec- 
tion of the fittest, as a rejection of the unfit; the unfit are 
eliminated, while the fit survive. It has been suggested 
that "natural rejection" would be a better name than 
"natural selection." "Variations neither useful nor in- 
jurious," said Darwin, "would not be affected by natural 
selection." 
442. Difficulties and Objections. The publication of 
Darwin's "Origin of Species" aroused at once a storm of 
opposition. Theologians opposed the theory because they 
thought it eliminated. God. Especially bitter antagonism 
was aroused by Darwin's suggestion that, by means of 
his theory "much light will be thrown on the origin of 
man and his history." The unthinking and the careless 
thinkers accused Darwin of teaching that man is descended 
from monkeys. Neither of these accusations, however, 
was true. Darwinism neither eliminates God, nor does it 
teach that monkeys are the ancestors of men. 
By slow degrees, however, men began to give more care- 
ful and unprejudiced attention to the new theory, and not 
to pass adverse judgment upon it until they were sure they 
understood it. "A celebrated author and divine has 
