Origin of Species Variorum

Comparison with 1869

Text in this page (from paragraph 4220, sentence 400, word 58 to paragraph 4220, sentence 400, word 78) is not present in 1869

On the hypothesis of separate acts of creation the whole case .. remains unintelligible. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. The above line of argument, as advanced by Fritz Müller, seems to have had great weight in leading this distinguished naturalist to accept the views maintained by me in this volume. ↑

In the several cases just discussed, we have seen that in beings more or less remotely allied, the same end is gained and the same function performed by organs in appearance, though not in truth, closely similar. But the common rule throughout nature is that the same end is gained, even sometimes in the case of beings closely related to each other, by the most diversified means. How differently constructed is the feathered wing of a bird and the membrane-covered wing of a bat with all the digits largely developed; and still more so the four wings of a butterfly, the two wings of a fly, and the two wings of a beetle, together with the elytra. Bivalve shells are made to open and shut, but on what a number of patterns is the hinge constructed, from the long row of neatly interlocking teeth in a Nucula to the simple ligament of a Mussel! Seeds are disseminated by their minuteness,—by their capsule being converted into a light balloon-like envelope,—by being embedded in pulp or flesh, formed of the most diverse parts, and rendered nutritious, as well as conspicuously coloured, so as to attract and be devoured by birds,—by having hooks and grapnels of many kinds and serrated awns, so as to adhere to the fur of quadrupeds,—and by being furnished with wings and plumes, as different in shape as elegant in structure, so as to be wafted by every breeze. I will give one other instance; for this subject of

fidently expected, that the structural contrivances thus acquired would in each case have materially differed, although serving for the same purpose. On the hypothesis of separate acts of creation the whole case must remain unintelligible, and we can only say, so it is. This line of argument seems to have had great weight in leading this distinguished naturalist fully to accept the views maintained by me in this volume. ↑

In the several cases just discussed, we have seen that in beings more or less remotely allied, the same end is gained and the same function performed by organs in appearance, though not in truth, closely similar. But the common rule throughout nature is that the same end is gained, even sometimes in the case of beings closely related to each other, by the most diversified means. How differently constructed is the feathered wing of a bird and the membrane-covered wing of a bat with all its fingers developed; and still more so the four wings of a butterfly, the two wings of a fly, and the two of a bettle with their elytra. Bivalve shells have only to open and shut, but on what a number of patterns is the hinge constructed, from the long row of neatly interlocking teeth in a Nucula to the simple ligament of a Mussel. Seeds are disseminated by their minuteness or by their capsule being converted into a light ballon-like envelope; or by being embedded in pulp or flesh, formed of the most diverse parts, and rendered nutritious as well as conspicuously coloured, so as to attract and be devoured by birds; or by having hooks and grapnels of many kinds and serrated awns, so as to adhere to the fur of quadrupeds; or by being furnished with wings and plumes, as diversified in shape as elegant in structure, so as to be wafted by every breeze. I will give one other instance; for the subject is worthy of reflection by those who are not able to credit that organic beings have been formed in many ways for