egard to the system
advocated by Mr. Herbert Spencer, who, however, also relegates "Natural
Selection" to a subordinate _role_. The view here advocated, on the other
hand, regards the whole organic world as arising and going forward in one
harmonious development similar to that which displays itself in the growth
and action of each separate individual organism. It also regards each such
separate organism as the expression of powers and tendencies not to be {21}
accounted for by "Natural Selection" alone, or even by that together with
merely the direct influence of surrounding conditions.

The difficulties which appear to oppose themselves to the reception of
"Natural Selection" or "the survival of the fittest," as the one
explanation of the origin of species, have no doubt been already considered
by Mr. Darwin. Nevertheless, it may be worth while to enumerate them, and
to state the considerations which appear to give them weight; and there is
no doubt but that a naturalist so candid and careful as the author of the
theory in question, will feel obliged, rather than the reverse, by the
suggestion of all the doubts and difficulties which can be brought against
it.

What is to be brought forward may be summed up as follows:--

That "Natural Selection" is incompetent to account for the incipient stages
of useful structures.

That it does not harmonize with the co-existence of closely similar
structures of diverse origin.

That there are grounds for thinking that specific differences may be
developed suddenly instead of gradually.

That the opinion that species have definite though very different limits to
their variability is still tenable.

That certain fossil transitional forms are absent, which might have been
expected to be present.

That some facts of geographical distribution supplement other difficulties.

That the objection drawn from the physiological difference between
"species" and "races" still exists unrefuted.

That there are many remarkable phenomena in organic forms upon which
"Natural Selection" throws no light whatever, but the explanations of
which, if they could be attained, might throw light upon specific
origination. [Page 22]

Besides these objections to the sufficiency of "Natural Selection," others
may be brought against the hypothesis of "Pangenesis," which, professing as
it does to explain great difficulties, seems to do so by presenting others
not less great--almost to be the explana