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22

Shrewsbury July /40/

Egypt mummies show that mammifers last 2000 years - recent species of shells have lasted ages - see J. Smith for time on shores of Scotland - think of elevation of Sweden. Now in countries, where man has not acted individuals of most species of extraordinary abundant -Think of Mackenzie's descript. of N. American plain - think of Humboldt descript. of forests of Orinoco - Suppose each species only last 10,000 years - ranges appear formerly to have been greater - Remember number of Cuckoos - good case to show number of rare bird cattle in Falkland Isld, think over the millions of individuals, on an average, which each species contains - Take monkeys (remember Spix & Martins) First not supposed to exist. Now to shown to have been cosmopolite from Eocene to present time. yet only so many -4 species discovered & how many individuals, about 2 or 3 of each.

[in margin:] Stedman in Surinam speaks of troops of Hundreds of monkeys, throwing excrement & dung

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Think of horse in S. America & N. America & yet it is argued because one does not find intermediate forms that the theory of transmutation is false!!!!! Take dog (whether descended from one or more parents) what is the chance that the intermediate forms will be preserved to another epoch - We can only judge from what we see - The Dog genus appeared at – epoch, since then in so many species have been found examined & a few only individuals of each now during the last 10000 years,

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dogs have been domesticated, the chances would be not more than one «species, out of those inhabiting world would be preserved to a period as far remote in future from us, as Miocene is to us in past

Consider how many species of genus canis discovered in Pleiocene period then the chance how many will be discovered when the now present period becomes pleiocene to futurity thus is the chance of true dog being discovered & the intermediate or parent forms between its varieties

Those genera have generally most individuals which have most species. The ox genus would be best to exemplify these remarks as we can show numbers we show former extension - & their numbers - The domestic cattle being

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unnaturally numerous gives better chances of their preservation - yet hardly more numerous than buffalos in N. America.

The variation of species being slower by my theory than of varieties by domestication, states less chance of intermediate forms being discovered moreover species probably change when rare.

In shells number of individuals greater & duration of forms which counterbalance the greater number of individuals which have been discovered.

Before I thought on the excessive fewness of species preservation in comparison to individuals which have probably lived the objection of non-discovered of intermediate or parent forms appeared to be very strong. The connection of forms is like great genealogical or clumps of trees forest trees - when there is connection from bud to bud but many buds long dead from crowding of contiguous branches.