But as all groups cannot thus
succeed in succeed in 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | go on 1872 |
increasing in size, for the world would not hold them, the more dominant groups beat the less dominant. This tendency in the large groups to go on increasing in size and diverging in character, together with the
almost almost 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | almost 1872 |
inevitable contingency of much extinction, explains the arrangement of all the forms of
life, life, 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | life 1872 |
in groups subordinate to groups, all within a few great classes, which
...OMIT 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
we now see everywhere around us, and which 1859 1860 |
has prevailed throughout all time. This grand fact of the grouping of all organic beings
is is 1861 1866 |
seems to me 1859 1860 |
under what is called the Natural System, is 1869 1872 |
utterly inexplicable on the theory of creation. |
|
As natural selection acts solely by accumulating slight, successive, favourable variations, it can produce no great or sudden
modification; modification; 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | modifica- tions; 1872 |
it can act only by
very very 1859 1860 1861 1866 | very 1869 1872 |
short and slow steps.
Hence Hence 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | Hence, 1872 |
the canon of "Natura non facit saltum," which every fresh addition to our knowledge tends to
make truer, make truer, 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
make more strictly correct, 1859 |
confirm, 1872 |
is on this theory
simply simply 1859 1860 1861 1866 | simply 1869 1872 |
intelligible. We can see why throughout nature the same general end is gained by an almost infinite diversity of
means; means; 1866 1869 | means, 1872 |
for every peculiarity when once acquired is long inherited, and structures already
diversified diversified 1866 1869 | modified 1872 |
in many
ways ways 1866 1869 | different ways 1872 |
have to be adapted for the same general purpose. We
can, can, 1866 1869 1872 | can 1859 1860 1861 |
in short, in short, 1866 1869 1872 | plainly 1859 1860 1861 |
see why nature is prodigal in variety, though niggard in innovation. But why this should be a law of nature if each species
had had 1866 1869 | has 1859 1860 1861 1872 |
been
independently independently 1859 1860 1866 1869 1872 | in dependently 1861 |
created, no man can explain. |
|
Many other facts are, as it seems to me, explicable on this theory. How strange it is that a bird, under the form of
woodpecker, should have been created to woodpecker, should have been created to 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
a woodpecker, should 1872 |
prey on insects on the ground; that upland
geese, geese, 1859 1860 1861 1866 | geese 1869 1872 |
which
never never 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | rarely 1872 |
or
rarely rarely 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | never 1872 |
swim, should
have been created with have been created with 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
possess 1872 |
webbed feet; that a
thrush should have been created to thrush should have been created to 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
thrush-like bird should have been created to 1869 |
thrush-like bird should 1872 |
dive and feed on sub-aquatic insects; and that a petrel should have
been created with been created with 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
the 1872 |
habits habits 1859 1860 1861 1866 1872 | the habits 1869 |
and structure fitting it for the life of an
auk! auk! 1861 1866 1869 1872 | auk 1859 1860 |
....... 1861 1866 1869 1872 | or grebe! 1859 1860 |
|