has a few animals, now generally regarded as varieties, but which have been ranked as species by some zoologists. Several most
experienced ornithologists consider our British red grouse as only a strongly-marked race of a Norwegian species, whereas the greater number rank it as an undoubted species peculiar to Great Britain. A wide distance between the homes of two doubtful forms leads many naturalists to rank both
as distinct species; but what distance, it has been well asked, will suffice? If
that between America and Europe is ample, will that between the Continent
and the Azores, or Madeira, or the Canaries, or Ireland,
be sufficient? ↑1 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1866 1869 1872; present in 1861 | Some few naturalists maintain that animals never present varieties; but then these same naturalists rank the slightest differences as of specific value; and when even the same identical form is met with in two distant countries, or in two quite distinct geological formations, they go so far as to believe that two separate species are hidden under the same dress.
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Mr. B. D. Walsh, a distinguished entomologist of the United States, has lately described what he calls Phytophagic varieties and Phytophagic species.
Most vegetable-feeding insects live on one kind of plant or on one group of plants; but
some feed indiscriminately on many widely distinct
kinds, ↑1 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1861 1869 1872; present in 1866 | yet this induces no change in them.
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but do not in consequence vary. ↑1 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1861 1869 1872; present in 1866 | Mr. Walsh, however, has observed other cases in which either the larva or mature insect, or both states, are thus affected by slight, though constant, differences in colour, or size, or nature of their secretions.
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In several cases, however, insects found living on different
plants,
have been observed by Mr. Walsh to
present present 1872 | present, 1869 |
....... 1872 | either exclusively 1869 |
in their larval or mature state, or in both states, slight, though constant differences in colour, size, or in the nature of their secretions. In some instances the males alone, in other instances both males and females, have been observed
thus to differ thus to differ 1872 |
to be thus affected 1869 |
in a slight degree. When the differences are rather more strongly marked, and when both sexes and all ages are affected, the forms
are
ranked by all entomologists as
good species. good species. 1872 | species. 1869 |
↑5 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1861 1869 1872; present in 1866 | In one case difference in food was accompanied by several slight but constant structural differences in the mature male alone.
In other cases both males and females are thus slightly affected.
Lastly, differences of food apparently cause more marked and constant differences in colour or structure, or in both combined, in the larva and in the mature insect.
Forms modified to this degree are ranked by all entomologists as distinct, though allied, species of the same genus.
The slighter differences, as in colour alone, and confined to the larva alone, to the mature insect alone, are almost invariably looked at as mere varieties.
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But no man
can
determine for another, determine for another, 1872 |
draw the line for others, 1866 |
determine for others, 1869 |
even if he can do so for himself, and determine with certainly
which of the several
phytophagic
forms to call varieties
and which to call species.
↑1 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1861 1869 1872; present in 1866 | Mr. Walsh, who argues with much force that the different states have gradually passed into each other, is forced to assume that those forms, which it may be supposed would freely intercross, should be designated as varieties, whilst those which have probably lost this capacity for intercrossing should be called species.
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Mr. Walsh ranks the forms which it may be supposed would freely
intercross, intercross, 1872 | intercross 1869 |
..
as varieties; and those which appear to have lost this power, as
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