Comparison with 1866 |
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whole genus of humble-bees became extinct or very rare in England, the heartsease and red clover would become very rare, or wholly disappear. The number of humble-bees in any district depends in a great degree
on the number of field-mice, which destroy their combs and nests; and
Col. Col. 1866 1869 1872 | Mr. H. 1859 1860 1861 |
Newman, who has long attended to the habits of humble-bees, believes that "more than two thirds of
them
are thus destroyed all over England." Now the number of mice is largely dependent, as every one knows, on the number of cats; and
Col. Newman Col. Newman 1866 1872 | Mr. Newman 1859 1860 1861 | Col.Newman 1869 |
says, "Near villages and small towns I have found the nests of humble-bees more numerous than elsewhere, which I attribute to the number
of
cats that destroy the mice." Hence it is quite credible that the presence of a feline animal in large numbers in a district might determine, through the intervention first of mice and then of bees, the frequency of certain flowers in that district! |
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In the case of every species, many different checks, acting at different periods of life, and during different seasons or years, probably come into play; some one check or some few being generally the most potent,
but all concurring
in determining the average number or even the existence of the species. In some cases it can be shown that widely-different checks act on the same species in different districts. When we look at the plants and bushes clothing an entangled bank, we are tempted to attribute their proportional numbers and kinds to what we call chance. But how false a view is this! Every one has heard that when an American forest is cut down, a very different vegetation springs up; but it has been observed that the trees now growing on the
ancient Indian mounds,
in the Southern United States, display
the same beautiful diversity and proportion of kinds as in the surrounding virgin forests.
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whole genus of humble-bees became extinct or very rare in England, the heartsease and red clover would become very rare, or wholly disappear. The number of humble-bees in any district depends in a great
degree degree 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | measure 1872 |
on the number of field-mice, which destroy their combs and nests; and
Mr. H. Mr. H. 1859 1860 1861 | Col. 1866 1869 1872 |
Newman, who has long attended to the habits of humble-bees, believes that "more than
two-thirds two-thirds 1860 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
two thirds of 1859 |
of them of them 1860 1861 1866 1869 1872 | them 1859 |
are thus destroyed all over England." Now the number of mice is largely dependent, as every one knows, on the number of cats; and
Mr. Newman Mr. Newman 1859 1860 1861 | Col. Newman 1866 1872 | Col.Newman 1869 |
says, "Near villages and small towns I have found the nests of humble-bees more numerous than elsewhere, which I attribute to the
number number 1859 1860 1861 1866 1872 | numbe 1869 |
of of 1859 1860 1861 1866 1872 | r of 1869 |
cats that destroy the mice." Hence it is quite credible that the presence of a feline animal in large numbers in a district might determine, through the intervention first of mice and then of bees, the frequency of certain flowers in that district! |
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In the case of every species, many different checks, acting at different periods of life, and during different seasons or years, probably come into play; some one check or some few being generally the most
potent, potent, 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | potent; 1872 |
but all
concur concur 1860 1861 1866 1869 | concurring 1859 | will concur 1872 |
in determining the average number or even the existence of the species. In some cases it can be shown that widely-different checks act on the same species in different districts. When we look at the plants and bushes clothing an entangled bank, we are tempted to attribute their proportional numbers and kinds to what we call chance. But how false a view is this! Every one has heard that when an American forest is cut down, a very different vegetation springs up; but it has been observed that
...OMIT 1860 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
the trees now growing on the 1859 |
ancient Indian
ruins ruins 1860 1861 1866 1869 1872 | mounds, 1859 |
in the Southern United States,
which must formerly have been cleared of trees, now display which must formerly have been cleared of trees, now display 1860 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
display 1859 |
the same beautiful diversity and proportion of kinds as in the surrounding virgin
forests. forests. 1859 1860 1861 1866 | forest. 1869 1872 |
|