Comparison with 1859 |
|
If about a dozen genera of birds had
become extinct
or were unknown,
who would have ventured to have
surmised
that birds might have existed which used their wings solely as flappers, like the logger-headed duck (Micropterus of Eyton); as fins in the water and front legs
on the land, like the penguin; as sails, like the ostrich; and functionally for no purpose, like the Apteryx. Yet the structure of each of these birds is good for it, under the conditions of life to which it is exposed, for each has to live by a struggle; but it is not necessarily the best possible under all possible conditions. It must not be inferred from these remarks that any of the grades of wing-structure here alluded to, which perhaps may all have resulted from
disuse, indicate the natural
steps by which birds have
acquired their perfect power of flight; but they serve,
at least, to show what diversified means of transition are
possible. |
|
Seeing that a few members of such water-breathing classes as the Crustacea and Mollusca are adapted to live on the
land, land, 1859 | land; 1860 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
and seeing that we have flying birds and mammals, flying insects of the most diversified types, and formerly had flying reptiles, it is conceivable that flying-fish, which now glide far through the air, slightly rising and turning by the aid of their fluttering fins, might have been modified into perfectly winged animals. If this had been effected, who would have ever imagined that in an early transitional state they had been inhabitants
of the open ocean, and had used their incipient organs of flight exclusively, as far as we know, to escape being devoured by other fish? |
|
When we see any structure highly perfected for any particular habit, as the wings of a bird for flight, we should bear in mind that animals displaying early
transitional transitional 1859 1869 1872 | tran- sitional 1860 1861 1866 |
|
If about a dozen genera of birds
had had 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | were to 1872 |
become
extinct extinct 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | extinct, 1872 |
or were unknown, or were unknown, 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
OMIT 1872 |
who would have ventured to
have have 1859 1860 | have 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
surmised surmised 1859 1860 | surmise 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
that birds might have existed which used their wings solely as flappers, like the logger-headed duck (Micropterus of Eyton); as fins in the water and
front legs front legs 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | as front-legs 1872 |
on the land, like the penguin; as sails, like the ostrich; and functionally for no purpose, like the
Apteryx. Apteryx. 1859 1860 | Apteryx? 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
Yet the structure of each of these birds is good for it, under the conditions of life to which it is exposed, for each has to live by a struggle; but it is not necessarily the best possible under all possible conditions. It must not be inferred from these remarks that any of the grades of wing-structure here alluded to, which perhaps may all
have resulted from have resulted from 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
be the result of 1872 |
disuse, indicate the
natural natural 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | natural 1872 |
steps by which birds
have have 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | actually 1872 |
acquired their perfect power of flight; but they
serve, serve, 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | serve 1872 |
at least, to show what diversified means of transition are at least, to show what diversified means of transition are 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
to show what diversified means of transition are at least 1872 |
possible. |
|
Seeing that a few members of such water-breathing classes as the Crustacea and Mollusca are adapted to live on the
land; land; 1860 1861 1866 1869 1872 | land, 1859 |
and seeing that we have flying birds and mammals, flying insects of the most diversified types, and formerly had flying reptiles, it is conceivable that flying-fish, which now glide far through the air, slightly rising and turning by the aid of their fluttering fins, might have been modified into perfectly winged animals. If this had been effected, who would have ever imagined that in an early transitional state they had been
inhabitants inhabitants 1859 1860 1861 1866 | the inhabitants 1869 1872 |
of the open ocean, and had used their incipient organs of flight exclusively, as far as we know, to escape being devoured by other fish? |
|
When we see any structure highly perfected for any particular habit, as the wings of a bird for flight, we should bear in mind that animals displaying early
tran- sitional tran- sitional 1860 1861 1866 | transitional 1859 1869 1872 |
|