| → which to call varieties and which species; 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
| OMIT 1872 |
|
| → between his doubtful forms, 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
| OMIT 1872 |
|
|
much perplexed
what differences to consider as specific, and what as
for he knows nothing of the amount and kind of variation to which the group is subject; and this shows, at least, how very generally there is some variation. But if he confine his attention to one class within one country, he will soon make up his mind how to rank most of the doubtful forms. His general tendency will be to make many species, for he will become impressed, just like the pigeon or
before alluded to, with the amount of difference in the forms which he is continually studying; and he has little general knowledge of analogical variation in other groups and in other countries, by which to correct his first impressions. As he extends the range of his observations, he will meet with more cases of difficulty; for he will encounter a greater number of closely-allied forms. But if his observations be widely extended, he will in the end generally be
to make up his own
→which to call varieties and which species;
but he will succeed in this at the expense of admitting much variation,— and the truth of this admission will often be disputed by other naturalists.
he comes to study allied forms brought from countries not now continuous, in which case he
hope to find
intermediate
→between his doubtful forms,
he will
to trust almost entirely to analogy, and his difficulties
rise to a climax. |
|
| Certainly no clear line of demarcation has as yet been drawn between species and
is, the forms which in the opinion of some naturalists come very near to, but do not quite arrive
the rank of
or, again, between sub-species and well-marked varieties, or between lesser varieties and individual differences. These differences blend into each other
an
|
