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NATURAL SELECTION.· - Mr. Wall ace has here brought together, In a
compact little book, all tholle essays which have laid the foundation or
blll great reputation as tbe autbor, In common wltll Mr. Darwin, or the
theory of Natural Selection. The modesty of the author, and tbat. admirable judicial coolness or mind wlllch he shAres In common with Darwin,
Is a mOMt persuasive Introduction, and produces a ravorable disposition In
the mind or the reader, which the candid Atyle of treating the dUferent
subjects greatly strengthens. In fact we have rarely read a work which
has given us so much pleasure and Information, and we recommend It to
all those who desire to get the principles ot Darwinism hut have Dot the
patience to spend 8 longer time over Darwln'R work.
The ftrAt chapter shows that geolofClcal changes determine the variations which take place In the geographical distribution of animals and
plants; that closely allied animals are clollely assoclat.ed geographically
and geologically, 80 that "every speclefl has come Into existence coincident both In time and space with a prehisting closely allied species."
The author tben proceeds to show how variations In animals occur, and
Incidentally Introduces an Ingenious and remarkable explanation ot the
reversions ot domesticated types when returned to a feral condition. A
domesticated type, when allowed to become wild again, generally speak-
• Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection. A. Series 01 EnllY' by Alfred RusselJ
Wallace, HeMillan • Co.. LoDdon aud New York, ~o, p.384.
420
REVIEWS.
lng possesses modifications which are exceedingly disadvantageous; thu,
they must either regain the original characterlsLlcs or their ancestors or
become extinct.
In treating or mimicry, or the protective resemblance which many Insects have to the bark and leaves or trees, Mr. Wall ace Is particularly rorclble and happy In his illustrations. The Kallima inac1&'- and K. paralezta
are perhaps the most remarkable examples or mimicry. In these two
species the wings, when folded, precisely resemble a dead leaf, and since
tbese insects never allgbt. except on withered bushes, they are almost
sure to escape detection. U We thus have size, color, rorm and habits all
combining together to produce a disguise whlcb may be said to be absolutely perfect." In tbe same mlUlner numerous Instances are given of
similar resemblances occurring between anImals In wblcb a harmless
species Is protected by 8!lsomln:; a resemblance to another species endowed either with stings, disagreeable secretion!!, or some otber peculi.
arlties which render tbem obnoxious as objects or prey or food to birds.
As we hue before remarked In dealing with Darwinian theories, we caunot see In all this that natural selection 18 by any means the primary
CBuse or variation.
Granting that all the variations occur 8S explained, It seems to become
more and more evident that physical cbanges, or some other unknown
causes, give tbe Initiatory Impetus to change. Accordlug to botb Darwin
and WaHace a variation must appear, and this variation must In some
shape better adapt tho animal to Its Iturroundlulr-', Its physical wants, before nalural selection can act. Thus In the experience of all practical
naturalists It acta In (luch a manner that species have certain local
characteristics which they sbare In common with olber species from
the same locality. Again, as cited by Wallace, the rise of a mountain
system, or other geological revolutions, m3Y produce great changes In tbe
climate and corresponding revolutlon8 In the fiora and fauna of a region.
We have never been able clearly to see why t.he plustlclty of the organIzation, and the tendency to vary In any advantageous direction, as seem!!
\0 be proved by the cases ot protective mimicry, might not be acted
upon with equal fllclllty by physical causes, natural selection being only
tbe secondary means by which these variations are perpetuated or transterred fr'om Individual to Individual.
To our minds one of the most remarkable portions ot this book Is the
bold and successful application ot the theol'Y to man, and tbe last chapter
wblcb treatlt of the limitations or natural selection.
It Is shown that natural selection would cease to act upon the body
atter man had once reached a period at whlcb the Intellectual faculties
began to appear, since then all nece8slty tor farther physical change
wonld be at an end .
.. We ani DOW. therelbre,l!IIabled to harmoD1N the eollflletlDfI' ~Iew. of IUIUlropol~ 011 lbl.
HI .. ml,. haY!! bt'''D.lnd~ I bellue ma.1 haYe bt'en. ODo. a bomoS-_' race; but
" wu at a pertod of whkh w. haTe at Jet cUteonrecl DO rem.w.a. at a period 80 remo&e la b&.
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421
hI.ry. Ulai be had not yet acqolred Ulat wonderftlllr deYeloped brala. Ule OrpD of tbe mind.
whlcb now. eYen In hll loweat example.. ra1te1 hIm far abo1''' tIle bl,helt brut.. : - at a period
when he had t.be (orm but hardl7 the nature o( man. when he neltber poueNN human Ipt-eeb,
nor tboee lympaibeUo and moral _hn,. .hleh In a ,.-reater or 1_ derree enrywhere now
clIttlnl1llah tbe race. Jaat In proporUOD .. theM &nII7 bumaD faealUee became dneloped ID
blm. would hll ph711cal reature. become dxed and p4!rmanent., ~'" tbe latter would be of
I~ Importance w hla "ell beIDI[; be would be hptln barmonr wltb the Ilo"lr changln, unlYene arouud hIm. br an ad.anee In mlod, ratber than br a chILD,., In bodr. If. tberefore, we
are o( opInIon Ulat he "a. Dot reallr man till th_ bllller faoulUea .ere AlII7 denloPf'd. _
ma,. fairly !llkrt that there "ere ma07 orllloaJlr dlllt1Dc:t racet of meo: "hUe, 11 we thlnt
'bat a belnlr cloeel7 reeembllng III In form and .tmcture. bnt "Itb mental r.coIUe. _ree17
raIMd abo1'8 tbe bmte, mult .UIl be considered to baYe beeD human ••e are fldlr entitled to
1DaI0Laln the common orllln of all mankInd."
With regard to the limits or the action of this law we quote the rollowing Interesting and Important argument:
.... r. DaI'W1n blm.aetr h .. tateD care to ImpreN apoa D" &hat "Datural eeleot1oD" h .. DO
power to produce at.olute pcrleoUoo but 0017 relaUye pe~Uon. no power to ad._ aD1
belo, mucb beyond hI. ~lIow beln,.. but onl,. Just.o moch beyond them .. to enable It to 11Iryln them In the .tmlt,le (Ilr exl.teoce. Stili ~N 11.. It any power to produee modldcat\obl
whleb are In any degree I$rloo. to ILl poMeaIOr. aDd Mr. Darwlo trequenUy uee. tbe atro"expr.. Nlon. that a .Inrte cue or thla kInd would be fatal to hla theory. If. therefore. we dud 10
mau 1ID7 cbaracter-. wbleb all the nldeoce we cao obtalo ,:oel to .how would ban been IICtaall7 loJurlouI to hIm on tbelr IIrlt appearanee. t.be7 could not poNlbly ban been prodoced br
natnral eelt>etlon. NeIther could any .ptoelally denloped orpn baYe been 10 produeed If It
had been merelr aeel_ to blm. or tt ILl UM were not proportionate to Ita de«ree or dnelo~
mmL Soch eaaea .. tbese would prove, llIat IOme other .... or IOme other power. UJan
.. natllral eeleetlon" had been at .ort."
The author than proceeds to show that the brain ot the savage Is uselessly large, being on an average over two and a haIr times the capacity
or that or a Gorilla and nearly seven-eighths ot the average Caucasian, or
civilized European. This reserve power In the savage. as shown by the
size or the unused brain, cannot be accounted tor by natural selection,
slDce It Is evidently. as shown above, something provided which Is not In
use and (or which a dally necessity does not exist.
The hairless condition of the back ID man is alBo, u polDted out by Mr.
Wallace, a characteristic which among naked savages Is decidedly a disadvantage and equally unaccountable on the priDciples or natural selection.
We have already pointed out In previous reviews other cases In which
exception" to the action of the law of natural "election might be fouud,
especially Rmong the fossils. IDstead of repeating these remarks we
would rerer the reader to a series of articles pubJlshed In the "Scientific
Opinion."· These present, by tar, the ablest ret'ntatlon or the universality or application claimed ror the great theory or the day. This, together with Professor Dawson's .. Modern Ideas ot Derivation," reviewed
In a previous number ot this magazine. and Proressor Cope's" Origin of
Genera," give ralr views or the principal arguments urged against tho
somewhat unquestlonlng Rnd hn8ty acceptatlon ot Darwinism which
seems to have become the fuhlon.
-Tbe Difllcultles of the Theory or Natnral Selection. Scientific Opinion. Nov. 10, Dec. I.
W9. Nos. 64-67. Vol. 2.
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And here permit os to repeat, by way of explanation, that DarwinIsm does not mean the theory or development or derivation, pure and simple, as so many Insist, but that explanation of Its action by the law of
natural selection which 114 gh'en by Wallace and Darwin. We have no
objections to orge against the theory which accounts for the origin of
species by descent from some ancient and simpler forms, which might be
appropriately called Lamarckianism, bot only agalngt the uulversallty of
tile law of natural selection. This Is applied to the solution of the origin of all the various modifications of form ItDd characteristics which
ha\'e arisen sInce the first appearance or life upon the globe, wllereu it
Is evltlcntly only a secondary law, active perhaps In all species but soborcUnnted to some other and more comprehensive law still undlscove~.
As regards the origin of man himself our author takes the ground tha~
.. Rome higher intelligence may have directed the process by which the
human race wu developed by means of more subtle agencies than we are
acquainted with.
A' the .ame tilDe I ma.t conft!ae, tbat tht. tbtory hu the dllad.,.nta,e or noqulrtnr the Internntion oC aome dl&Unct Individual intelligl!nce, to aJd In thn productlou of what We cau bardl,
avoid ('onaldertng" the ultimate aim and outeomt of all orranlzed exlltence-Iulclleetual,
eTer-adunclng, spiritual man. It thcrtfore Impllec, tb" thl! ~at law. which rOVf'rU the
material universe were Inlulllclenl for hi. production, unl_ .I! coullder (u we may taJrly
do) that the controlling action o( luch higher Intelligences I1 a necessary pa'" or thOM I....
juet as the action of ,11 lurroun<lIur organisms 11 oue of tbe asencit's In organiC dt'velopment.
Ilut t'Vt'u If my particular view Ihould nut be the trut' Olle, the dl1llculUee I have put tbrwanl
remain, ancl I think provr, that ~me more Irf'nrral and more t'IIndamt'utaJ la.. uuderlles tba'
or .. natural sell"Ctlou." The law of .. UDCOD8CloUI intelligence" pervading all organic nature,
put (orth by Dr. Laycock aud adopted by Mr. Murphy, I" euch a law; but to my mind It has tbf'
double dlalldnntaj!e of being botb unlutelllglble and Incapable of any kind of proof. It 1I more
probable, that tbe lru~ law lies too d~p (or UI to cll..eover It: but there teeml to me.. to be
ample Indication. th •• luch a law doea exlat., and I. probably cODuected with the abaolute orlgIu
or life and organization.
In tills connection read the original thoughts In the closing pllragrnphs
on "The Nature of Matter," .. Matter Is Force," .. All Force Is probably
Will-force," expressed In brief thus: "If, therefore, we have traced one
force, however minute, to an origin ID our own WILL, while we have DO
knowledge of any other primary cau~e of force, It does not seem an Improbable conclnslon that all force may be will· force ; and thus, that the
whole universe Is, not merely dependent on, but actually if, t.he WILL of
higher intelligences or of one Supreme Intelligence."