Origin of Species Variorum

Comparison with 1872

Text in this page (from paragraph 4900, sentence 400, word 12 to paragraph 4900, sentence 400, word 21) is not present in 1872

Those who think the natural geological record in any degree perfect, and who do not attach much weight to the facts and arguments of other kinds given in this volume, will undoubtedly at once reject the theory. For my part, following out Lyell's metaphor, I look at the .. geological record as a history of the world imperfectly kept, and written in a changing dialect; of this history we possess the last volume alone, relating only to two or three countries. Of this volume, only here and there a short chapter has been preserved; and of each page, only here and there a few lines. Each word of the slowly-changing language, ... more or less different in the interrupted succession of chapters, may represent the apparently abruptly changed forms of life, which are entombed in our consecutive, formations, and which falsely appear to us to have been abruptly introduced. On this view, the difficulties above discussed are greatly diminished, or even disappear.

authorities, to whom, with others, we owe all our knowledge. Those who believe that the geological record is in any degree perfect, ... will undoubtedly at once reject my theory. For my part, following out Lyell's metaphor, I look at the natural geological record, as a history of the world imperfectly kept, and written in a changing dialect; of this history we possess the last volume alone, relating only to two or three countries. Of this volume, only here and there a short chapter has been preserved; and of each page, only here and there a few lines. Each word of the slowly-changing language being more or less different in the .. successive .. chapters, may represent the ... forms of life, entombed in our consecutive but widely separated formations, which falsely appear to have been abruptly transformed. On this view, the difficulties above discussed are greatly diminished, or even disappear.