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powering verification furnished to the theory by the fact now before
us—namely, that immediately prior to the enunciation of this theory,
the truth that all adaptive characters have reference only to the
species which present them was not perceived. In other words, it
was the testing of this theory by the facts of nature that revealed to
naturalists the general law which the theory, as it were, predicted—
the general law that all adaptive characters have primary reference to
the species which present them. And when we remember that this
is a kind of verification which is furnished by millions of separate
cases, the whole mass of it taken together is, as I have before said,
overwhelming.”—(Darwin and After Darwin, p. 2Qi.)
I have quoted this statement in extenso, lest by compression
I should have fallen into unintentional misrepresentation.
We must bear in mind that while Mr. Romanes asserts
that all adaptive characters have reference only to the
species which presents them, he admits that the functions,
organs and instincts which are of primary importance to
a species may also be of secondary utility to other species.
He therefore may be understood to contend that it is a
general law of nature that all adaptive characters have
primary reference to the animals which possess them ;
that immediately prior to the enunciation of the theory
of Natural Selection this truth was not perceived ; and
that it was the testing of the theory of Natural Selection
which revealed to naturalists the general law which this
theory, as it were, predicted.
We must be very careful at the outset how we interpret
statements to the effect that animals were endowed with
instincts for the sole benefit of man. Take, for example,
what Paul says with reference to the law :—“ thou shalt
not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn.” He con
tends apparently that the precept was not given for the
benefit of oxen, but is only to be regarded as an alle
gorical command to the effect that, as we should say in
the present day, the workman should have “ a living
wage,” that he should be able to live by his work. But