Comparison with 1860 |
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view both sides of the question with impartiality. Whoever is led to believe that species are mutable will do good service by conscientiously expressing his conviction; for only thus
can the load of prejudice by which this subject is overwhelmed be removed. |
|
Several eminent naturalists have of late published their belief that a multitude of reputed species in each genus are not real species; but This seems to me a strange conclusion to arrive at. They admit that a multitude of forms, which till lately they themselves thought were special creations, and which are still thus looked at by the majority of naturalists, and which consequently have every
external characteristic feature
of true species,— they admit that these have been produced by variation, but they refuse to extend the same view to other and very
slightly different forms. Nevertheless they do not pretend that they can define, or even conjecture, which are the created forms of life, and which are those produced by secondary laws. They admit variation as a
vera
causa
in one case, they arbitrarily reject it in another, without assigning any distinction in the two cases. The day will come when this will be given as a curious illustration of the blindness of preconceived opinion. These authors seem no more startled at a miraculous act of creation than at an ordinary birth. But do they really believe that at innumerable periods in the earth's
history certain elemental atoms have been commanded suddenly to flash into living tissues? Do they believe that at each supposed act of creation one individual or many were produced? Were all the infinitely numerous kinds of animals and plants created as eggs or seed, or as full grown? and in the case of mammals, were they created bearing the false marks of nourishment from
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view both sides of the question with impartiality. Whoever is led to believe that species are mutable will do good service by conscientiously expressing his conviction; for
only thus only thus 1859 1860 1861 1866 | thus only 1869 1872 |
can the load of prejudice by which this subject is overwhelmed be removed. |
|
Several eminent naturalists have of late published their belief that a multitude of reputed species in each genus are not real species;
but that other species are real, that is, have been independently created. but that other species are real, that is, have been independently created. 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
but that other species are real, that is, have been independently created. This seems to me a strange conclusion to arrive at. 1872 |
This seems to me a strange conclusion to arrive at. They admit that a multitude of forms, which till lately they themselves thought were special creations, and which are still thus looked at by the majority of naturalists, and which consequently have
every every 1859 1860 1861 1866 | all the 1869 1872 |
external characteristic
feature feature 1859 1860 1861 1866 | features 1869 1872 |
of true species,— they admit that these have been produced by variation, but they refuse to extend the same view to other and
very very 1859 1860 1861 1866 | very 1869 1872 |
slightly different forms. Nevertheless they do not pretend that they can define, or even conjecture, which are the created forms of life, and which are those produced by secondary laws. They admit variation as a
vera
causa
in one case, they arbitrarily reject it in another, without assigning any distinction in the two cases. The day will come when this will be given as a curious illustration of the blindness of preconceived opinion. These authors seem no more startled at a miraculous act of creation than at an ordinary birth. But do they really believe that at innumerable periods in the
earth's earth's 1859 1860 1861 1866 1872 | earths 1869 |
history certain elemental atoms have been commanded suddenly to flash into living tissues? Do they believe that at each supposed act of creation one individual or many were produced? Were all the infinitely numerous kinds of animals and plants created as eggs or seed, or as full grown? and in the case of mammals, were they created bearing the false marks of nourishment from
|