Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookpencer remarks that "in common with the ancient Greek Mr. Gladstone
regards as irreligious any explanation of Nature which dispenses with
immediate Divine superintendence." And as an instance of the
partnership "between the ideas of natural causation and of providential
interference," he instances a case where a prince "gained popularity
by outliving certain abnormal changes in his blood," and where "on the
occasion of his recovery providential aid and natural causation were
unitedly recognised by a thanksgiving to God and a baronetcy to the
doctor." The passage on Toryism is on page 395, where Mr. Spencer, with
his accustomed tolerance, writes: "The desirable thing is that a growth
of ideas and feelings tending to produce modification shall be joined
with a continuance of ideas and feelings tending to preserve stability."
And from this point of view he concludes it to be very desirable that
"one in Mr. Gladstone's position should think as he does." The matter
is further discussed in the notes to Chapter XVI., page 423.) I never
before read a good defence of Toryism. In one place (but I cannot for
the life of me recollect where or what it exactly was) I thought that
you would have profited by my principle (i.e. if you do not reject it)
given in my "Descent of Man," that new characters which appear late
in life are those which are transmitted to the same sex alone. I have
advanced some pretty strong evidence, and the principle is of great
importance in relation to secondary sexual likenesses. (262/3. This
refers to Mr. Spencer's discussion of the evolution of the mental traits
characteristic of women. At page 377 he points out the importance of
the limitation of heredity by sex in this relation. A striking
generalisation on this question is given in the "Descent of Man,"
Edition I., Volume II., page 285: that when the adult male differs from
the adult female, he differs in the same way from the young of both
sexes. Can this law be applied in the case in which the adult female
possesses characters not possessed by the male: for instance, the high
degree of intuitive power of reading the mental states of others and of
concealing her own--characters which Mr. Spencer shows to be accounted
for by the relations between the husband and wife in a state of
savagery. If so, the man should resemble "the young of both sexes" in
the absence of these special qualities. This seems to be the case with
some masculine characteristics, and childishness of man is not without
recognition among women: for instance, by Dolly Winthrop in "Silas
Marner," who is content with bread for herself, but bakes cake for
children and men, whose "stomichs are made so comical, they want a
change--they do, I know, God help 'em.") I have applied it to man and
woman, and possibly it was here that I thought that you would have
profited by the doctrine. I fear that this note will be almost
illegible, but I am very tired.
LETTER 263. G.J. ROMANES TO CHARLES DARWIN.
(263/1. This is, we believe, the first letter addressed by the late Mr.
Romanes to Mr. Darwin. It was put away with another on the same subject,
and inscribed "Romanes on Abortion, with my answer (very important)."
Mr. Darwin's answer given below is printed from his rough draft, which
is in places barely decipherable. On the subject of these letters
consult Romanes, "Darwin and after Darwin," Volume II., page 99, 1895.)
Dunskaith, Parkhill, Ross-shire, July 10th, 1874.
Knowing that you do not dissuade the more attentive of your readers from
communicating directly to yourself any ideas they may have upon subjects
connected with your writings, I take the liberty of sending the enclosed
copy of a letter, which I have recently addressed to Mr. Herbert
Spencer. You will perceive that the subject dealt with is the same as
that to which a letter of mine in last week's "Nature" [July 2nd,
page 164] refers--viz., "Disuse as a Reducing Cause in Species."
In submitting this more detailed exposition of my views to your
consideration, I should like to state again what I stated in "Nature"
some weeks ago, viz., that in propounding the cessation of selection as
a reducing cause, I do not suppose that I am suggesting anything which
has not occurred to you already. Not only is this principle embodied
in the theory set forth in the article on Rudimentary Organs ("Nature,"
Volume IX.); but it is more than once hinted at in the "Origin," in
the passages where rudimentary organs are said to be more variable than
others, because no longer under the restraining influence of Natural
Selection. And still more distinctly is this principle recognised in
page 120.
Thus, in sending you the enclosed letter, I do not imagine that I am
bringing any novel suggestions under your notice. As I see that you
have already applied the principle in question to the case of
artificially-bred structures, I cannot but infer that you have pondered
it in connection with naturally-bred structures. What objection,
however, you can have seen to this principle in this latter connection,
I am unable to divine; and so I think the best course for me to pursue
is the one I adopt--viz., to send you my considerations in full.
In the absence of express information, the most natural inference is
that the reason you refuse to entertain the principle in question, is
because you show the backward tendency of indiscriminate variability
[to be] inadequate to contend with the conservative tendency of long
inheritance. The converse of this is expressed in the words "That the
struggle between Natural Selection on the one hand, and the tendency to
reversion and variability on the other hand, will in the course of
time cease; and that the most abnormally developed organs may be made
constant, I see no reason to doubt" ("Origin," page 121). Certainly not,
if, as I doubt not, the word "constant" is intended to bear a relative
signification; but to say that constancy can ever become absolute--i.e.,
that any term of inheritance could secure to an organ a total immunity
from the smallest amount of spontaneous variability--to say this would
be unwarrantable. Suppose, for instance, that for some reason or other a
further increase in the size of a bat's wing should now suddenly
become highly beneficial to that animal: we can scarcely suppose that
variations would not be forthcoming for Natural Selection to seize upon
(unless the limit of possible size has now been reached, which is an
altogether distinct matter). And if we suppose that minute variations on
the side of increase are thus even now occasionally taking place, much
more is it probable that similar variations on the side of decrease are
now taking place--i.e., that if the conservative influence of Natural
Selection were removed for a long period of time, more variations would
ensue below the present size of bat's wings, than above it. To this it
may be added, that when the influence of "speedy selection" is removed,
it seems in itself highly probable that the |