RECORD: Darwin, C. R. n.d. Bicheno shows that here and there there exists a distinct natural family. CUL-DAR205.5.72. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 1.2023. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volume CUL-DAR205.5 contains notes on the principle of divergence, transitional organs and instincts.
[Fleming, John]. 1829. On systems and methods in natural history, by J. E. Bicheno, Esq. Quarterly Review 41: 302-27.
Darwin also took notes on this in his Notebook C.
[72]
Bicheno shows that here & there there exists a distinct natural family (the comparative value of which he remarks is very difficult to compare), but that many natural families are imperfect (ie blend together) & are small, ((wh involuntarily seems, I think, to come in small degree into element,) It is difficult to make ornithorhynchus equal to all mammalia.—)
This is exactly what wd be expected, if naturalness of families depend simply on amount of extinction — If all were preserved there could be no natural families or species.— Certain forms however may have been much more diversified than others.— Some one uncommon form may have gone on altering, & never branching out into many species, another may have gone on producing infinitely many species.—
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 4 March, 2023