[55] Loc. cit., p. 151.
[56] Namely, Lycaena denzelii, L. pheretes, Argynnis pales, Erebia mante.
[57] Since the above was written, I have heard of some cases which seem to present greater difficulties to our theory than those above quoted. These refer to some of the numerous species of land mollusca which inhabit the isolated rocks near Madeira (Dezertas). My informant is Dr. Grabham, who has himself investigated the matter, and reports as follows:—
"It is no uncommon thing to meet with examples of the same species, sub-fossil, recent, and living upon one spot, and presenting no variation in the long record of descent." Then, after naming these examples, he adds, "All seem to vary immediately on attaining new ground, assuming many aspects in different districts."
Unquestionably these statements support, in a very absolute manner, Mr. Wallace's opinion, while making directly against my own. It is but fair, however, to add that the cases are not numerous (some half-dozen at the most, and all within the limits of a single genus), and that, even in the opinion of my informant himself, the facts have not hitherto been sufficiently investigated for any decisive judgement to be formed upon them.
[58] Vol. xliii. p. 127.
[59] This refers to what I understand Mr. Wallace to say in the Nature correspondence is the supposition on which his own theory of the origin of species by cross-infertility is founded. But in the original statement of that theory itself, it is everywhere "supposed" that when species are originated by cross-infertility, the initial change is the physiological change. In his original statement of that theory, therefore, he literally went further than I had gone in my "original paper," with reference to supposing the physiological change to be the initial change. I do not doubt that this is due to some oversight of expression; but it is curious that, having made it, he should still continue his endeavour to fix exactly the same oversight upon me.
[60] "Positive segregation" is Mr. Gulick's term for forms of homogamy other than that which is due to selective fertility. Of these other, or "positive" forms, natural selection is one; but as it is far from being the only one, the criticism points out that utility is not the only conserving principle with which selective fertility may be associated.
[61] By Intensive Segregation Mr. Gulick means what I have called Independent Variability.
[62] His sentence, "all fertility not correlated with some useful variation has a constant tendency to effect its own elimination," still further restricts the possible action of physiological selection to cases where at least one of the other forms of homogamy with which it is associated is natural selection. Or, in other words, it is represented that physiological selection must always be associated with natural selection, even if it be likewise associated with any other form of exclusive breeding. But as this further limitation appears to me self-evidently unjustifiable (seeing that utility is not the only possible means of securing effective isolation) I here neglect it, and take the wider ground marked out above. It is needless to say that this is giving Mr. Wallace every possible advantage, by not holding him to his still narrower ground.