The Monist, Vol. 1, 1890-1891 : $b A quarterly magazineVarious
Philosophy
The Monist, Vol. 1, 1890-1891 : $b A quarterly magazine
Various
Philosophy -- Periodicals
Here we perceive that Mr. Wallace, after having adopted the theory
of physiological selection in its main elements, next proceeds to
supplement that theory (as Mr. Gulick and myself had previously done),
by showing how greatly the principle of physiological selection
must be assisted by any association with other forms of isolation,
or segregate breeding. The only difference between Mr. Wallace and
ourselves here is, that while he instances but three or four forms of
segregate breeding (or homogamy) with which physiological selection
may be associated, I had previously considered several others in
addition to these, while Mr. Gulick had gone into the matter still
more exhaustively. Therefore, here as elsewhere, I can only account
for the character of Mr. Wallace's criticism by supposing that he read
our papers inattentively in the first instance, and was afterwards
influenced by "unconscious memory" in his subsequent cogitations upon
the problem of cross-sterility.
And now, finally, in order to show this still more completely, I may
quote the whole paragraph which concludes his long discussion of that
problem:
"The preceding argument, it will be seen, depends entirely
upon the assumption that some amount of infertility
characterises the distinct varieties which are in process of
differentiation into species; and it may be objected that of
such infertility there is no proof. This is admitted: but
it is urged that facts have been adduced which render such
infertility probable, at least in some cases, and this is
all that is required. It is by no means necessary that all
varieties should exhibit incipient infertility, but only some
varieties; for we know that, of the innumerable varieties
that occur, but few become developed into distinct species;
and it may be that the absence of infertility, to obviate the
effects of intercrossing, is one of the usual causes of their
failure. All I have attempted to show is, that when incipient
infertility does occur in correlation with other varietal
differences, that infertility can be, and in fact must be,
increased by natural selection; and this, it appears to me, is
a decided step in advance in the solution of the problem."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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