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See page in:
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→ a land carnivorous animal could 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869
could a land carnivorous animal 1872
→ within the same group 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869
there now exist 1872
→ exist, having every 1866 1869
exist having every 1859 1860 1861
presenting close 1872
→ between truly aquatic and 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869
from 1872
→ habits; 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869
to aquatic habits; 1872
→ habits to its 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869
OMIT 1872
→ If a different case had been taken, and it had been asked how an insectivorous quadruped could possibly have been converted into a flying bat, the question would have been far more difficult to answer. 1866 1869
If a different case had been taken, and it had been asked how an insectivorous quadruped could possibly have been converted into a flying bat, the question would have been far more difficult, and I could have given no answer. 1859 1860 1861
During the summer this animal dives for and preys on fish, but during the long winter it leaves the frozen waters, and preys, like other pole-cats, on mice and land animals. 1872
→ Yet 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869
If a different case had been taken, and it had been asked how an insectivorous quadruped could possibly have been converted into a flying bat, the question would have been far more difficult to answer. Yet 1872
→ of the same genus; 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869
OMIT 1872
an extremely imperfect and intermittent record.
On
On
the
the
origin
Origin
Origin
and
and
transitions
Transitions
Transitions
of
of
organic
Organic
Organic
beings
Beings
Beings
with
with
peculiar
peculiar
habits
Habits
Habits
and
and
structure .—
structure. —
Structure .
Structure .—
Structure.
It has been asked by the opponents of such views as I hold, how, for instance, →a land carnivorous animal could have been converted into one with aquatic habits; for how could the animal in its transitional state have subsisted? It would be easy to show that →within the same group carnivorous animals →exist, having every intermediate
grades
grade
→between truly aquatic and strictly terrestrial →habits; and as each exists by a struggle for life, it is clear that each
must be
is
well adapted
to
in
its →habits to its place in nature. Look at the Mustela vison of North America, which has webbed
feet
feet,
and which resembles an otter in its fur, short legs, and form of
tail.
tail;
during
during
summer
summer
this
this
animal
animal
dives
dives
for
for
and
and
preys
preys
on
on
fish,
fish,
but
but
during
during
the
the
long
long
winter
winter
it
it
leaves
leaves
the
the
frozen
frozen
waters,
waters,
and
and
preys
preys,
preys,
like
like
other
other
polecats
pole-cats
pole-cats,
pole-cats,
on
on
mice
mice
and
and
land
land
animals.
animals.
→If a different case had been taken, and it had been asked how an insectivorous quadruped could possibly have been converted into a flying bat, the question would have been far more difficult to answer. →Yet I think such difficulties have
very
....
little weight.
Here, as on other occasions, I lie under a heavy disadvantage,
for
for,
out of the many striking cases which I have collected, I can give only one or two instances of transitional habits and structures in
closely allied
allied
closely-allied
species;
species
→of the same genus; and of diversified habits, either constant or occasional, in the same species. And it seems to me that nothing less than a long list of such cases is sufficient to lessen the difficulty in any particular case like that of the bat.
Look at the family of squirrels; here we have the