Origin of Species Variorum

Comparison with 1872

place in nature, these facts cease to be strange, or perhaps might even have been anticipated.

We can to a certain extent understand how it is that there is so much beauty throughout nature: for this may be largely attributed to the agency of selection. That beauty, according to our sense of it, is not universal, must be admitted by every one who will look at some .. venomous snakes, at some fishes, and at certain hideous bats with a distorted resemblance to the human face. Sexual selection has given, ... the most brilliant colours, elegant patterns, and other ornaments to the males, and sometimes to both sexes of many birds, butterflies, and .. other animals. It has rendered the voices of many male birds musical to their females, as well as to our ears. Flowers and fruit have been rendered conspicuous by brilliant colours in contrast with the green foliage, in order that the flowers may be easily seen, visited, and fertilised by insects, and the fruit have their seeds disseminated by birds. How it comes that certain colours, sounds, and forms should give pleasure to man and the lower animals,— that is, how the sense of beauty in its simplest form was first acquired,— we do not know any more than how certain odours and flavours were first rendered agreeable. ↑

As natural selection acts by competition, it adapts and improves the inhabitants of each country only in relation to their co-inhabitants; so that we need feel no surprise at the inhabitants of any one country, although on the ordinary view supposed to have been specially created and adapted for that country, being beaten and supplanted by the naturalised productions from another land. Nor ought we to marvel if all the contrivances in nature be not, as far as we can judge, absolutely perfect, as in the case even of the human eye; or if some of them be abhorrent to our ideas of fitness. We need not marvel at the sting of the bee, when used against an enemy, causing the bee's own death; at drones being produced in such vast numbers for one single act, and being then slaughtered by their sterile sisters; at the astonishing waste of pollen by our fir-trees; at the instinctive hatred of the queen-bee for her own fertile

place in nature, these facts cease to be strange, or .. might even have been anticipated.

We can understand how it is that such harmonious beauty generally prevails throughout nature. That there are exceptions according to our ideas of beauty, no one will doubt who will look at some of the venomous snakes, at some fish, and at certain hideous bats with a distorted resemblance to the human face. Sexual selection has given the most brilliant colours and other ornaments to the males, but sometimes to both sexes of many birds, butterflies, and a few other animals. With birds it has often rendered the voice of the male .. musical to the female, as well as to our ears. Flowers and fruit have been rendered conspicuous by gaudy colours in contrast with the green foliage, in order that the flowers might be easily seen, visited, and fertilised by insects, and the ... seeds disseminated by birds. ↑ .. Lastly, some living objects have become beautiful through mere symmetry of growth.

As natural selection acts by competition, it renders the inhabitants of each country perfect only in relation to the other inhabitants; so that we need feel no surprise at the species of any one country, although on the ordinary view supposed to have been created and specially adapted for that country, being beaten and supplanted by the naturalised productions from another land. Nor ought we to marvel if all the contrivances in nature be not, as far as we can judge, absolutely perfect; and if some of them be abhorrent to our ideas of fitness. We need not marvel at the sting of the bee when used against an enemy often causing the bees own death; at drones being produced in such great numbers for one single act, and being then slaughtered by their sterile sisters; at the astonishing waste of pollen by our fir-trees; at the instinctive hatred of the queen bee for her own fertile