Page:Carroll - Sylvie and Bruno Concluded.djvu/203

XI] seeing my look of surprise. "Suppose you desire a race of pigeons of a particular shape or colour, do you not select, from year to year, those that are nearest to the shape or colour you want, and keep those, and part with the others?"

"We do," I replied. "We call it 'Artificial Selection.

"Exactly so," said Mein Herr. "Well, we have practised that for some centuries constantly selecting the lightest people: so that, now, everybody is lighter than water."

"Then you never can be drowned at sea?"

"Never! It is only on the landfor instance, when attending a play in a theatrethat we are in such a danger.

"How can that happen at a theatre?"

"Our theatres are all underground. Large tanks of water are placed above. If a fire breaks out, the taps are turned, and in one minute the theatre is flooded, up to the very roof! Thus the fire Is extinguished."

"And the audience, I presume?"

"That Is a minor matter," MeIn Herr carelessly replied. "But they have the comfort of