| Comparison with 1866 |
|
|
species constantly trying to increase in number, with natural selection always ready to adapt the slowly varying descendants of each to any unoccupied or ill-occupied
place in nature, these facts cease to be strange, or perhaps
might even have been anticipated. |
|
We can understand
how it is that such harmonious beauty generally prevails
throughout nature. That there are exceptions
according to our ideas
of beauty, no one will doubt
who will look at some of the
venomous snakes, at some fish,
and at certain hideous bats with a distorted resemblance to the human face. Sexual selection has given,
generally to the males alone but sometimes to both sexes,
the most brilliant and beautiful colours, as well as other ornaments, to our
birds, butterflies, and a few
other animals. It has
rendered the voices
of many
male birds
musical to their
females,
as well as to our ears. Flowers and fruit have been rendered conspicuous by gaudy
colours in contrast with the green foliage, in order that the flowers might
be easily seen, visited, and fertilised by insects, and the fruit have their
seeds disseminated by birds. ↑| 1 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869; present in 1872 | | How it comes that certain colours, sounds, and forms should give pleasure to man and the lower animals,— that is, how the sense of beauty in its simplest form was first acquired,— we do not know any more than how certain odours and flavours were first rendered agreeable.
|
|
|
As natural selection acts by competition, it adapts
the
inhabitants of each country only
in relation to the degree of perfection of their associates;
so that we need feel no surprise at the inhabitants
of any one country, although on the ordinary view supposed to have been specially created and
adapted for that country, being beaten and supplanted by the naturalised productions from another land. Nor
ought we to marvel if all the contrivances in nature be not, as far as we can judge, absolutely perfect;
and if some
of them
be
abhorrent to our ideas of fitness. We need not marvel at the sting of the bee
causing
the
bee's | bee's 1859 1861 1866 1872 | | bees 1860 1869 |
|
|
The complex and little known laws governing variation
are the same, as far as we can see,
with the laws which have governed the production of so-called specific forms.
In both cases physical conditions seem to have produced but little direct effect; yet when varieties enter any zone, they occasionally assume some of the characters of the species proper to that zone.
↑| 1 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1861 1866; present in 1869 1872 | | Thus
when varieties enter any new station, they occasionally assume some of the characters proper to the species of that station.
|
| ..... 1861 1866 1869 1872 | | con- 1859 1860 |
|
species constantly trying to increase in number, with natural selection always ready to adapt the slowly varying descendants of each to any unoccupied or
ill-occupied | ill-occupied 1859 1860 1861 1866 1872 | | ill-occu- pied 1869 |
| perhaps 1859 1860 1861 1866 | perhaps 1869 1872 |
| 5 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1861; present in 1866 1869 1872 | | We can understand
how it is that such harmonious beauty generally prevails
throughout nature.
That there are exceptions
according to our ideas
of beauty, no one will doubt
who will look at some of the
venomous snakes, at some fish,
and at certain hideous bats with a distorted resemblance to the human face.
Sexual selection has given,
generally to the males alone but sometimes to both sexes,
the most brilliant and beautiful colours, as well as other ornaments, to our
birds, butterflies, and a few
other animals.
It has
rendered the voices
of many
male birds
musical to their
females,
as well as to our ears.
Flowers and fruit have been rendered conspicuous by gaudy
colours in contrast with the green foliage, in order that the flowers might
be easily seen, visited, and fertilised by insects, and the fruit have their
seeds disseminated by birds.
|
| 1 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869; present in 1872 | | How it comes that certain colours, sounds, and forms should give pleasure to man and the lower animals,— that is, how the sense of beauty in its simplest form was first acquired,— we do not know any more than how certain odours and flavours were first rendered agreeable.
|
|
|
As natural selection acts by competition, it
adapts | adapts 1859 1860 1861 1866 1872 | | renders 1869 |
| the 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
| and improves the 1872 |
| only 1859 1860 1861 1866 1872 | | perfect only 1869 |
| the degree of perfection of their associates; 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
| the other inhabitants; 1869 |
| their co-inhabitants; 1872 |
| inhabitants 1859 1860 1861 1866 | | species 1869 1872 |
| specially created and 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
| created and specially 1869 1872 |
| Nor 1859 1860 1866 1869 1872 | | or 1861 |
| perfect; 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | | perfect, 1872 |
| and if some 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
| as in the case even 1872 |
| them 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | | the 1872 |
| be 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
| human eye; or if some of them be 1872 |
| bee 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | | bee, 1872 |
| causing 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
| when used against an enemy often causing 1869 |
| when used against an enemy, causing 1872 |
| bees 1860 1869 | | bee's 1859 1861 1866 1872 |
| vast 1859 1860 1861 1866 | | great 1869 1872 |
| with the great majority 1860 1861 1866 |
| and being then 1859 1869 1872 |
| queen bee 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | | queen-bee 1872 |
| live 1859 1860 1861 1866 | | living 1869 1872 |
| and 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | | or 1872 |
| observed. 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | | detected. 1872 |
|
|
The complex and little known laws governing
variation | variation 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
| acknowledged variations 1869 |
| the production of varieties 1872 |
| see, 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | | judge, 1872 |
| so-called specific forms. 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
| so-called specific differences. 1869 |
| distinct species. 1872 |
| but little direct effect; yet when varieties enter any zone, they occasionally assume some of the characters of the species proper to that zone. 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
| some direct and definite effect, but how much we cannot say. 1869 1872 |
| In 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | | With 1872 |
| some 1859 1860 1861 1866 | | a considerable 1869 1872 |
| difficult 1859 1860 1861 1866 | | impossible 1869 1872 |
| con- 1859 1860 | con- 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
|
