dives dives 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | dives 1872 |
for for 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | for 1872 |
and and 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | and 1872 |
preys preys 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | preys 1872 |
on on 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | on 1872 |
fish, fish, 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | fish, 1872 |
but but 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | but 1872 |
during during 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | during 1872 |
the the 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | the 1872 |
long long 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | long 1872 |
winter winter 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | winter 1872 |
it it 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | it 1872 |
leaves leaves 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | leaves 1872 |
the the 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | the 1872 |
frozen frozen 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | frozen 1872 |
waters, waters, 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | waters, 1872 |
and and 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | and 1872 |
preys preys 1859 1860 1861 | preys, 1866 1869 | preys 1872 |
like like 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | like 1872 |
other other 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | other 1872 |
polecats polecats 1859 1860 | pole-cats 1861 | pole-cats, 1866 1869 | polecats 1872 |
on on 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | on 1872 |
mice mice 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | mice 1872 |
and and 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | and 1872 |
land land 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | land 1872 |
animals. animals. 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | animals. 1872 |
If a different case had been taken, and it had been asked how an insectivorous quadruped could possibly have been converted into a flying bat, the question would have been far more difficult, and I could have given no answer. If a different case had been taken, and it had been asked how an insectivorous quadruped could possibly have been converted into a flying bat, the question would have been far more difficult, and I could have given no answer. 1859 1860 1861 |
If a different case had been taken, and it had been asked how an insectivorous quadruped could possibly have been converted into a flying bat, the question would have been far more difficult to answer. 1866 1869 |
During the summer this animal dives for and preys on fish, but during the long winter it leaves the frozen waters, and preys, like other pole-cats, on mice and land animals. 1872 |
Yet Yet 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
If a different case had been taken, and it had been asked how an insectivorous quadruped could possibly have been converted into a flying bat, the question would have been far more difficult to answer. Yet 1872 |
I think such difficulties have
very very 1859 1860 | very 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
little weight. |
|
Here, as on other occasions, I lie under a heavy disadvantage,
for for 1859 1860 1861 | for, 1866 1869 1872 |
out of the many striking cases which I have collected, I can give only one or two instances of transitional habits and structures in
closely allied closely allied 1859 1860 1861 1866 | closely-allied 1869 | allied 1872 |
species species 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | species; 1872 |
of the same genus; of the same genus; 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
OMIT 1872 |
and of diversified habits, either constant or occasional, in the same species. And it seems to me that nothing less than a long list of such cases is sufficient to lessen the difficulty in any particular case like that of the bat. |
|
Look at the family of squirrels; here we have the finest gradation from animals with their tails only slightly flattened, and from others, as Sir J. Richardson has remarked, with the posterior part of their bodies rather wide and with the skin on their flanks rather full, to the so-called flying squirrels; and flying squirrels have their limbs and even the base of the tail united by a broad expanse of skin, which serves as a parachute and allows them to glide through the air to an astonishing distance from tree to tree. We cannot doubt that each structure is of use to each kind of squirrel in its own country, by enabling it to escape birds or beasts of prey,
or or 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | or 1872 |
to collect food more quickly, or, as there is reason to believe,
by lessening by lessening 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | to lessen 1872 |
the danger from occasional falls. But it does not follow from this fact that the structure of each squirrel is the best that it is possible to conceive under all
natural natural 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | possible 1872 |
conditions. Let the climate and vegetation change, let other competing
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