Origin of Species Variorum

→ but that other species are real, that is, have been independently created. This seems to me a strange conclusion to arrive at. 1872

but that other species are real, that is, have been independently created. 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

↑ 1 blocks not present in 1872; present in 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

that other species are real, that is, have been independently created. This seems to me a strange conclusion to arrive at.

→ some of these same 1872

these same 1861 1866 1869

→ OMIT 1869 1872

under the present state of science, 1861 1866

→ appearance or creation of only 1869 1872

creation of 1861 1866

→ of life, or of 1869 1872

or of 1861 1866

a certain number of facts will certainly reject

the

theory. A few naturalists, endowed with much flexibility of mind, and who have already begun to doubt

....

the immutability of species, may be influenced by this volume; but I look with confidence to the

future,

future,—

to young and rising naturalists, who will be able to view both sides of the question with impartiality. Whoever is led to believe that species are mutable will do good service by conscientiously expressing his conviction; for

only thus

thus only

can the load of prejudice by which this subject is overwhelmed be removed.

Several eminent naturalists have of late published their belief that a multitude of reputed species in each genus are not real species; →but that other species are real, that is, have been independently created. This seems to me a strange conclusion to arrive at. ↑ They admit that a multitude of forms, which till lately they themselves thought were special creations, and which are still thus looked at by the majority of naturalists, and which consequently have

every

all the

external characteristic

feature

features

of true species,— they admit that these have been produced by variation, but they refuse to extend the same view to other and

very

....

slightly different forms. Nevertheless they do not pretend that they can define, or even conjecture, which are the created forms of life, and which are those produced by secondary laws. They admit variation as a vera causa in one case, they arbitrarily reject it in another, without assigning any distinction in the two cases. The day will come when this will be given as a curious illustration of the blindness of preconceived opinion. These authors seem no more startled at a miraculous act of creation than at an ordinary birth. But do they really believe that at innumerable periods in the

earths

earth's

history certain elemental atoms have been commanded suddenly to flash into living tissues? Do they believe that at each supposed act of creation one individual or many were produced? Were all the infinitely numerous kinds of animals and plants created as eggs or seed, or as full grown? and in the case of mammals, were they created bearing the false marks of nourishment from the

mothers

mother's

womb? Undoubtedly →some of these same questions cannot be answered by those

who,

who

→OMIT believe in the →appearance or creation of only a few

aboriginal

....

forms,

forms

→of life, or of some one form

of life.

alone.

It has been

asserted

maintained

by several authors that it is as easy to believe in the creation of a

hundred

....

million beings as of one; but Maupertuis'

philo- sophical

philosophical

axiom "of least action" leads the mind more willingly to admit the smaller number; and certainly we ought not to believe that innumerable beings within each great class have been created with plain, but deceptive, marks of descent from a single