always prudent in their loves, but are apt to fling themselves away on curs of low degree. If reared with a companion of vulgar appearance, there often springs up between the pair a devotion which no time can afterwards subdue. The passion, for such it really is, becomes of a more than romantic endurance."-(Darwin. Descent of Man. p. 523.)

We may look at this matter from another point of view, by raising the question whether the different forms of married life adopted by animals are favourable to the isolation of similar variants; and the inheritance of their special endowments by their offspring.

Now if the general rule were a life-long monogamy, and if the pair lived to the same age, and if they united on the basis of the common possession of favourable variations, then we should have the precise conditions which we require. But it does not follow that these conditions will always be fulfilled. For probably the animals which are monogamists will unite on the basis of romantic love, and not on that of favourable variation. And in the case of the death of one there may be, and probably will be, a second marriage. There is also the case of a monogamous union which lasts only for one season, so that one female may have in a life-time several husbands, in which case we have ample evidence that the offspring by the second husband often bears a marked resemblance to the first.

We have a good illustration of that form of marriage known as polygamy, in which one husband has many wives, in the case of the seals. The following curious details on the courtship of one of the eared seals (Callorhinus ursinus) are given on the authority of Capt. Bryant, who had ample opportunities for observation. He says:

"Many of the females on their arrival at the island where they breed appear desirous of returning to some particular male, and frequently climb the outlying rocks to overlook the rookeries, calling out and

listening as if for a familiar voice. Then changing to another place they do the same again. . . As soon as a female reaches the shore, the nearest male goes down to meet her, making meanwhile a noise like the clucking of a hen to her chickens. He bows to her and coaxes her until he gets between her and the water so that she cannot escape him. Then his manner changes, and with a harsh growl he drives her to a place in his harem. This continues until the lower row of harems is nearly full. Then the males higher up select the time when their more fortunate neighbours are off their guard to steal their wives. This they do by taking them in their mouths and lifting them over the heads of the other females, and carefully placing them in their own harem, carrying them as cats do their kittens. Those still higher up pursue the same method until the whole space is occupied. Frequently a struggle ensues between two males for the possession of the same female, and both seizing her at once pull her in two, or terribly lacerate her with their teeth. When the space is all filled, the old male walks around complacently reviewing his family, scolding those who crowd or disturb the others, and fiercely driving off all intruders. This surveillance always keeps him actively occupied."-(Darwin. Descent of Man. p. 523.)

It is quite clear that the female is not allowed to exercise any choice. She might well say with Portia, in The Merchant of Venice:

"In terms of choice I am not solely led
By nice direction of a maiden's eyes;

Besides, the lottery of my destiny

Bars me the right of voluntary choosing."

-(Act ii., sc. 1.)

It is the chief object of a polygamous male to get as large a harem as possible. And with this object he contends with any male who seeks to rob him of his wives.

The victory of the strongest males, and the consequent formation of large harems, necessarily result in many males leading a celibate life: which males may in all other respects, be fitter to live than their stronger and more fortunate brethren.

In connection with polygamy, the wife of one year might have another husband in the second year; and in that case, as already observed, the offspring by the second marriage

would tend to resemble the husband of a former year; and thus the object sought to be attained by strict selection would be frustrated.

The form of marriage known as polyandry, in which one female has several husbands, would probably be fatal to the very preservation of a species. One method of exterminating rabbits, which is said to be found highly successful, is to trap as many as possible, kill off all the does that are caught, and let the bucks loose. "The results of this mode of operation are that the male rabbits as soon as they begin to predominate in numbers, persecute the females with their attentions and prevent them from breeding. They also kill the young rabbits that happen to be born; and even as Mr. Rodier asserts, when they largely predominate in numbers, worry the remaining does to death."* These considerations serve to convince us that Sexual Selection cannot possibly supplement the deficiencies which may arise through any laxity in the action of Natural Selection.

The theory then, contains in itself some striking difficulties. Natural Selection can only act in adverse circumstances: it has to await the "accidental" emergence of favourable variations. If the isolation is strict, it is tremendously costly; if it is not strict it is useless. Where Natural Selection is not strict, we have no right to assume that Sexual Selection will necessarily assist Natural Selection, and that the fittest variants will necessarily marry one another in preference to other less worthy survivors.

Nature. vol. xxxix., p. 493.

CHAPTER IV.

THE THEORY COMPARED WITH THE REALITY.

"Things ough' to ha' took most an opperste turn,

But The'ry is jes' like a train on the rail,

Thet, weather or no, puts her thru without fail,
While Fac's the ole stage thet gits sloughed in the ruts,
An' hez to allow for your darned efs an' buts,

An' so, nut intendin' no pers'nal reflections,

They don't-don't nut allus, thet is, make connections."

- LOWELL. The Biglow Papers.

"On parlait un jour de son Histoire Naturelle devant Voltaire. Oh! pas si naturelle, dit celui ci d'une façon mordante."-Said of Buffon's Natural History.

in vain,

Opinions, those or these,

Unaltered to retain

The obstinate mind decrees;

Experience, like a sea, soaks all-effacing in."

-MATTHEW ARNOLD.

WE have now to consider how far the facts of nature correspond with the requirements of the theory of Natural Selection, so far as its distinctive feature is concerned; namely, the power of Natural Selection to select. It is assumed that the tendency to increase in a geometrical ratio leads to an enormous output of life, which is succeeded by the discriminative destruction known as Natural Selection. It is assumed that the ordinary output of life, apart from enormous fertility, is succeeded by discriminative destruction. It is assumed that there is always a competition going on in nature between members of the same species and individuals of different species. These

assumptions are essential to the theory; are they consonant with the facts of nature?

(a) IS THE TENDENCY TO INCREASE IN A GEOMETRICAL RATIO FOLLOWED BY DISCRIMINATIVE DESTRUCTION?

“Multitudes-multitudes in the Valley of Decision."-(Joel. iii.,14.) "Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are." (Nahum. iii., 17.)

It is contended that the tendency to increase in a geometrical ratio necessarily produces a struggle for existence, and that the struggle for existence necessarily leads to the survival of the fittest.

"A struggle for existence inevitably follows from the high rate at which all organic beings tend to increase."-(Origin of Species. p. 50.)

"The power of selection brought into play through the struggle for existence and the consequent survival of the fittest.”—( The Variation. ii., p. 192.)

From the proved fact of the rapid increase of organisms, Mr. Wallace infers the struggle for existence as a necessary consequence. Then taking the struggle for existence as a proved fact, he infers the survival of the fittest as a necessary consequence. And then, from the survival of the fittest as a proved fact, he infers the changes in organic forms; and thus presents a demonstration of the transmutation of species by means of Natural Selection.*

Mr. Romanes says:

"If, on independent grounds, we believe in the theory of evolution at all, it becomes obvious that Natural Selection must have had

*Contributions. p. 103.