On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection: Or, The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle of Life |
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Page 98
... island , although the total number of the species inhabit- ing it , will be found to be small , as we shall see in our chapter on geographical distribution ; yet of these species a very large proportion are endemic , that is , have been ...
... island , although the total number of the species inhabit- ing it , will be found to be small , as we shall see in our chapter on geographical distribution ; yet of these species a very large proportion are endemic , that is , have been ...
Page 99
... islands . On a small island , the race for life will have been less severe , and there will have been less modification and less extermination . Hence , perhaps , it comes that the flora of Madeira , according to Oswald Heer , resembles ...
... islands . On a small island , the race for life will have been less severe , and there will have been less modification and less extermination . Hence , perhaps , it comes that the flora of Madeira , according to Oswald Heer , resembles ...
Page 100
... islands , there will still exist many individuals of the same species on each island : in- tercrossing on the confines of the range of each species will thus be checked : after physical changes of any kind , immigration will be ...
... islands , there will still exist many individuals of the same species on each island : in- tercrossing on the confines of the range of each species will thus be checked : after physical changes of any kind , immigration will be ...
Page 121
... islands or near the coast . So with insects , Wollaston is convinced that res- idence near the sea affects their colours . Moquin - Tandon gives a list of plants which when growing near the sea- shore have their leaves in some degree ...
... islands or near the coast . So with insects , Wollaston is convinced that res- idence near the sea affects their colours . Moquin - Tandon gives a list of plants which when growing near the sea- shore have their leaves in some degree ...
Page 123
... islands , tenanted by no beast of prey , has been caused by disuse . The ostrich indeed inhabits continents , and is exposed to danger from which it cannot escape by flight , but by kicking it can defend itself from enemies , as well as ...
... islands , tenanted by no beast of prey , has been caused by disuse . The ostrich indeed inhabits continents , and is exposed to danger from which it cannot escape by flight , but by kicking it can defend itself from enemies , as well as ...
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Common terms and phrases
accumulated adapted affinities allied species America amount ancient animals appear become bees believe birds breeds cause cells characters cirripedes climate closely allied colour continuous crossed crustaceans degree difficulty distinct species disuse divergence domestic doubt embryo endemic Europe existing exterminated extinct extremely facts favourable fertility flowers formations forms fossil Gärtner genera genus geological geological period Glacial period gradations greater number groups of species habits Hence hermaphrodites hybrids hybrids produced important individuals inhabitants inherited insects instance instincts intercrossing intermediate land larvæ less living look male mammals manner migration modification modified descendants natural selection naturalists nearly nest offspring organic organisation perfect pigeons pistil plants pollen present probably produced progenitor ranked reciprocal crosses remarked resemble rudimentary seeds seems sexual selection Silurian slight South America sterility structure struggle successive suppose swimbladder tend theory tion trees variability variation varieties vary whole widely
Popular passages
Page 424 - In the distant future I see open fields for far more important researches. Psychology will be based on a new foundation, that of the necessary acquirement of each mental power and capacity by gradation. Light will be thrown on the origin of man and his history.
Page 63 - There is no exception to the rule that every organic being naturally increases at so high a rate, that, if not destroyed, the earth would soon be covered by the progeny of a single pair.
Page 79 - I may be allowed to personify the natural preservation or survival of the fittest, cares nothing for appearances, except in so far as they are useful to any being. She can act on every internal organ, on every shade of constitutional difference, on the whole machinery of life. Man selects only for his own good: Nature only for that of the being which she tends.
Page 70 - I counted thirtytwo little trees ; and one of them, with twenty-six rings of growth, had during many years tried to raise its head above the stems of the heath, and had failed. No wonder that, as soon as the land was enclosed, it became thickly clothed with vigorously growing young firs. Yet the heath was so extremely barren and so extensive that no one would ever have imagined that cattle would have so closely and effectually searched it for food. Here we see that cattle absolutely determine the...
Page 169 - If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.
Page 63 - Hence as more individuals are produced than can possibly survive, there must in every case be a struggle for existence, either one individual with another of the same species, or with the individuals of distinct species, or with the physical conditions of life.
Page 167 - To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree.
Page 378 - Nothing can be more hopeless than to attempt to explain this similarity of pattern in members of the same class, by utility or by the doctrine of final causes. The hopelessness of the attempt has been expressly admitted by Owen in his most interesting work on the 'Nature of Limbs.
Page 187 - Under changed conditions of life, it is at least possible that slight modifications of instinct might be profitable to a species; and if it can be shown that instincts do vary ever so little, then I can see no difficulty in natural selection preserving and continually accumulating variations of instinct to any extent that was profitable. It is thus, as I believe, that all the most complex and wonderful instincts have originated.
Page 165 - I can see no difficulty in a race of bears being rendered, by natural selection, more and more aquatic in their structure and habits, with larger and larger mouths, till a creature was produced as monstrous as a whale.