large our insight into the hidden relations between the phenomena of nature. Chapter XI. is devoted to an examination of the law of natural selection, as modified by the law of heredity, and I have here attempted to show that the acceptance of this secondary law will remove the most serious objections to the view that our present forms of life have been brought into existence through the survival of the fittest variations, and I have also called attention to the fact that the law of heredity is itself a result of the law of natural selection. No one can deny that there are grave objections to the law of natural selection in its original form. Darwin admits this in many places, and able but dissenting critics have stated most of these objections with great ability. The evidence for the law of natural selection is so many sided, so extensive, and so satisfactory, that we may fairly conclude that the difficulties will disappear with greater knowledge, and as none of its hostile critics have proposed anything whatever to take its place, the difficulties which they have pointed out have hardly received from naturalists the attention which they deserve. One of the most serious objections is that natural selection cannot effect any permanent modification of a race, unless great numbers of individuals vary in essentially the same way at nearly the same time, and that the chances against this are great beyond computation if variations are purely fortuitous in Darwin's sense of the word. Darwin has acknowledged the weight of this objection, and there is no escape from the conclusion that natural selection fails to account for the origin of species, unless we can show that many individuals tend to vary at the same time. According to our view, the production of gemmules and the consequent variations are due to the direct action of changed conditions upon certain cells of the body, and any change which affects all the individuals of a species will cause the same part to vary in all of them at the same time. This objection to the law of natural selection is thus entirely removed. The evolution of a complicated organism, or the modification of any part which includes a number of complicated structures, without destroying their harmonious adjustment to each other, demands a very great number of variations, and if these are fortuitous, we may well doubt whether there has been time enough for the evolution of life by natural selection. According to oar theory of heredity, a change in one part of the body is in itself a cause of variation in related parts; and as changes thus tend to occur where and when they are needed, the time which is demanded for the evolution of a complicated organ by natural selection is brought within reasonable limits, and one of the most fundamental objections is thus completely removed. There are many reasons for believing that variations under nature may not be so minute as Darwin supposes, but that evolution may take place by jumps or saltations. According to our view a change in one part will disturb the harmony of related parts, and will cause their cells to throw off gemmules. A slight change in one generation may thus become in following generations a very considerable modification, and there is no reason why natural selection should not be occasionally presented with great and important saltations. The law of heredity also enables us to understand the occasional occurrence of parallel or analogous variation, and the parallel evolution of polyphylletic-groups. INDEX. Adjustment between internal Adler on parthenogenesis in Adult organism, 6 Albrecht on parthenogenesis, Alcippe, 183 Alternation of generations, 115 American naturalist on spike- Anchorella, 179 Ancon sheep, 299 Animalculist, 22 Annelids, 173 Anolis, 198 Antirrhinum, 132 Apple, 90 Apus, 58 Arbacia, 66 Argus pheasant, 201 Aristotle on parthenogenesis, 55 Aristotle on latent sexual char- Artemia, 58, 91 Arthropoda, sexual differences Asexual reproduction, 11, 17, 143, 249 127 Babyrusa, 205 Bachman on variation of tur- Balfour on polar globules, 71 Barnacle, sexual differences in, Barrington on colors of birds, Basset on parthenogenesis, 62 "parthenogenesis in, 60 "variation of, 145 191 Bell-bird, sexual differences in, Birds, female modification in, Birds, sexual differences in, 199 Bischoff on parthenogenesis,— Blumenbach on Polish fowl,226 Bombyx, 58 Bonnet on evolution, 20, 85 Buffon on effect of castration, Butterflies, sexual differences Callionymus, 197 Changed conditions cause sub- Cherry, variation of, 149 Claus on parthenogenesis, 58 food, 90 Correlated variation, 84, 157 Crossing as a cause of varia- Cryptophyalus, 183 Cultivated plants, variation of, Cyclops, sexual differences in, Dall on saltatory evolution, 83 variation of on compound person- on complexity of the on correllated varia- on direct action of ex- on evolution of eye, Spanned peacock, on latent transmission on modification of on pangenesis, 48 on parallel or analo- on reciprocal hybrids, on reversion, 10, 115, on reversion in horse, on selection, 12 on sexual characters on sexual selection, on transmission by on transmission with- Darwin, on variation, 141, 146, crossing, 120, 122 Direct influence of external con- Dog, reversion in, 10 Domesticated animals more va- Edmundston on sea-gull, 93 "and evolution, 24 Evolution and division of labor, Bonnet on, 20 imperfect, 82 Falconer on variation of dog and goat, 91 196 Fish-lice, sexual differences in, Fowls, hybrids from, 129, 131 reversion in, 185 Gall-wasp, parthenogenesis in, Gallus bankiva, reversion to, Galton on pangenesis, 53 Gartner on variability of hy- Gegenbaueron nature of ovum, Gelassimus, 189 Gerstaecker on parthenogene- Godine on hybrid sheep, 129 Haeckel on perigenesis, 33, 45 Hemp, variation of, 90 '' ontogenetic and phy- "and memory, 37 |