Comparison with 1859 |
|
What a struggle between the several kinds of trees must here
have gone on during long centuries,
each
annually scattering its seeds by the thousand; what war between insect and insect— between
insects, snails, and other animals with birds and beasts of prey—
all
striving to increase, and
all feeding on each other
or on the trees
or
their seeds and seedlings, or on the other plants which first clothed the ground and thus checked the growth of the trees! Throw up a handful of feathers, and all must
fall to the ground according to definite laws; but how simple is this
problem compared to the action and reaction
of the innumerable
plants and animals which have determined, in the course of centuries, the proportional numbers and kinds of trees now growing on the old Indian ruins! |
|
The dependency of one organic being on another, as of a parasite on its prey, lies generally between beings remote in the scale of nature. This is often
the case with those which may strictly be
said to struggle with each other for existence, as in the case of locusts and grass-feeding quadrupeds. But the struggle almost invariably will
be most severe between the individuals of the same species, for they frequent the same districts, require the same food, and are exposed to the same dangers. In the case of varieties of the same species, the struggle will generally be almost equally severe, and we sometimes see the contest soon decided: for instance, if several varieties of wheat be sown together, and the mixed seed be resown, some of the varieties which best suit the soil or climate, or are naturally the most fertile, will beat the others and so yield more seed, and will consequently in a few years quite
supplant the other varieties. To keep up a mixed stock of even such extremely close varieties as the variously coloured
|
What a struggle
between the several kinds of trees must here between the several kinds of trees must here 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
must 1869 1872 |
have gone on during long
centuries, centuries, 1859 1860 1861 1866 | centuries 1869 1872 |
each each 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
between the several kinds of trees, each 1869 1872 |
annually scattering its seeds by the thousand; what war between insect and
insect— between insect— between 1859 1860 1861 1866 1872 | insect—between 1869 |
insects, snails, and other animals with birds and beasts of
prey— prey— 1859 1860 1861 1866 1872 | prey—all 1869 |
all all 1859 1860 1861 1866 1872 | all 1869 |
striving to increase,
and and 1859 1860 1861 1866 | and 1869 1872 |
all feeding on each
other other 1859 1860 1861 | other, 1866 1869 1872 |
or on the
trees trees 1859 1860 1861 | trees, 1866 1869 1872 |
or or 1859 1860 1861 | or 1866 1869 1872 |
their seeds and seedlings, or on the other plants which first clothed the ground and thus checked the growth of the trees! Throw up a handful of feathers, and all
must must 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | must 1872 |
fall to the ground according to definite laws; but how simple is
this this 1859 1860 | the 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
problem
compared to the action and reaction compared to the action and reaction 1859 1860 |
where each shall fall compared to that 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
of the
innumerable innumerable 1859 1860 |
action and reaction of the innumerable 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
plants and animals which have determined, in the course of centuries, the proportional numbers and kinds of trees now growing on the old Indian ruins! |
|
The dependency of one organic being on another, as of a parasite on its prey, lies generally between beings remote in the scale of nature. This is
often often 1859 1860 1861 1866 | likewise sometimes 1869 1872 |
the case with those which may
strictly be strictly be 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | be strictly 1872 |
said to struggle with each other for existence, as in the case of locusts and grass-feeding quadrupeds. But the struggle
almost invariably will almost invariably will 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
will almost invariably 1869 1872 |
be most severe between the individuals of the same species, for they frequent the same districts, require the same food, and are exposed to the same dangers. In the case of varieties of the same species, the struggle will generally be almost equally severe, and we sometimes see the contest soon decided: for instance, if several varieties of wheat be sown together, and the mixed seed be resown, some of the varieties which best suit the soil or climate, or are naturally the most fertile, will beat the others and so yield more seed, and will consequently in a few years
quite quite 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | quite 1872 |
supplant the other varieties. To keep up a mixed stock of even such extremely close varieties as the
variously coloured variously coloured 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | variously-coloured 1872 |
|