Origin of Species Variorum

→ and descendants. 1869 1872

or these parents from their ancient and unknown progenitor. 1859 1860 1861 1866

→ would be natural; for, on 1869 1872

on 1859 1860 1861 1866

→ for instance, from A, 1869 1872

from A, or from I, 1859 1860 1861 1866

→ Assuredly we shall 1869 1872

We shall certainly 1859 1860

We shall assuredly 1861 1866

→ descendants from 1869

many descendants from 1859 1860 1861 1866

descendants from any 1872

→ OMIT 1869 1872

although having few characters in common, 1859 1860 1861

although having but few characters in common, 1866

→ although 1869 1872

we use descent in classing acknowledged varieties, however different 1859 1860 1861 1866

→ have but few characters in common; we use descent in classing acknowledged varieties, however different they may be 1869 1872

be 1859 1860 1861 1866

several members of the several groups could be distinguished from their more immediate

parents;

parents

→and descendants. Yet the

natural

....

arrangement in the diagram would still hold

good;

good

and,

and

→would be natural; for, on the principle of inheritance, all the forms

descended

descended,

→for instance, from A, would have something in common. In a tree we can

specify

distinguish

this or that branch, though at the actual fork the two unite and blend together. We could not, as I have said, define the several groups; but we could pick out types, or forms, representing most of the characters of each group, whether large or small, and thus give a general idea of the value of the differences between them. This is what we should be driven to, if we were ever to succeed in collecting all the forms in any

class

one class

which have lived throughout all time and space. →Assuredly we shall never succeed in making so perfect a collection: nevertheless, in certain classes, we are tending

towards

this

direction;

end;

and Milne Edwards has lately insisted, in an able paper, on the high importance of looking to types, whether or not we can separate and define the groups to which such types belong.

Finally, we have seen that natural selection, which

follows

results

from the struggle for existence, and which almost inevitably

induces

leads to

extinction and divergence of character in the →descendants from one

~~dominant~~

dominant

parent-species, explains that great and universal feature in the affinities of all organic beings, namely, their

sub-ordination

subordination

in group under group. We use the element of descent in classing the individuals of both sexes and of all

ages,

ages

→OMIT under one

species;

species,

→although they may →have but few characters in common; we use descent in classing acknowledged varieties, however different they may be from their

parents;

parent;

and I believe

that this

this

element of descent is the hidden bond of connexion which naturalists have sought under the term of the Natural System.