marshalled, they make a formidable array; and as it forms no part of Mr.
Mivart's plan to give the various facts and considerations opposed to his
conclusions, no slight effort of reason and memory is left to the reader,
who may wish to weigh the evidence on both sides. When discussing special
cases, Mr. Mivart passes over the effects of the increased use and disuse
of parts, which I have always maintained to be highly important, and have
treated in my "Variation under Domestication" at greater length than, as I
believe, any other writer. He likewise often assumes that I attribute
nothing to variation, independently of natural selection, whereas in the
work just referred to I have collected a greater number of well-established
cases than can be found in any other work known to me. My judgment may not
be trustworthy, but after reading with care Mr. Mivart's book, and
comparing each section with what I have said on the same head, I never
before felt so strongly convinced of the general truth of the conclusions
here arrived at, subject, of course, in so intricate a subject, to much
partial error.

All Mr. Mivart's objections will be, or have been, considered in the
present volume. The one new point which appears to have struck many
readers is, "That natural selection is incompetent to account for the
incipient stages of useful structures." This subject is intimately
connected with that of the gradation of the characters, often accompanied
by a change of function, for instance, the conversion of a swim-bladder
into lungs, points which were discussed in the last chapter under two
headings. Nevertheless, I will here consider in some detail several of the
cases advanced by Mr. Mivart, selecting those which are the most
illustrative, as want of space prevents me from considering all.

The giraffe, by its lofty stature, much elongated neck, fore legs, head and
tongue, has its whole frame beautifully adapted for browsing on the higher