The Foundations of the Origin of Species

284

A short discussion of a similar kind occurs in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 211, vi. p. 324.

285

This sentence agrees with the MS., but is clearly in need of correction.

286

This corresponds to Origin, Ed. i. p. 212, vi. p. 325.

287

This discussion is interesting in differing from the corresponding section of the Origin, Ed. i. p. 216, vi. p. 330, to the end of the chapter. In the present Essay the subjects dealt with are nest-making instincts, including the egg-hatching habit of the Australian bush-turkey. The power of “shamming death.” “Faculty” in relation to instinct. The instinct of lapse of time, and of direction. Bees’ cells very briefly given. Birds feeding their young on food differing from their own natural food. In the Origin, Ed. i., the cases discussed are the instinct of laying eggs in other birds’ nests; the slave-making instinct in ants; the construction of the bee’s comb, very fully discussed.

288

The distinction between faculty and instinct corresponds in some degree to that between perception of a stimulus and a specific reaction. I imagine that the author would have said that the sensitiveness to light possessed by a plant is faculty, while instinct decides whether the plant curves to or from the source of illumination.

289

«Note in the original in an unknown handwriting.» At the time when corn was pitched in the market instead of sold by sample, the geese in the town fields of Newcastle «Staffordshire?» used to know market day and come in to pick up the corn spilt.

290

«Note in original.» Macculloch and others.

291

I can find no reference to the transandantes sheep in Darwin’s published work. He was possibly led to doubt the accuracy of the statement on which he relied. For the case of the sheep returning to their birth-place see p. 17, note 4.

292

Origin, Ed. i. p. 224, vi. p. 342.

293

This is an expansion of an obscure passage in the Essay of 1842, p. 19.

294

The difficulties discussed in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 171, vi. p. 207, are the rarity of transitional varieties, the origin of the tail of the giraffe; the otter-like polecat (Mustela vison); the flying habit of the bat; the penguin and the logger-headed duck; flying fish; the whale-like habit of the bear; the woodpecker; diving petrels; the eye; the swimming bladder; Cirripedes; neuter insects; electric organs.

Of these, the polecat, the bat, the woodpecker, the eye, the swimming bladder are discussed in the present Essay, and in addition some botanical problems.

295

In the Origin, Ed. vi. p. 275, the author replies to Mivart’s criticisms (Genesis of Species, 1871), referring especially to that writer’s objection “that natural selection is incompetent to account for the incipient stages of useful structures.”

296

«The following sentence seems to have been intended for insertion here» “and that each eye throughout the animal kingdom is not only most useful, but perfect for its possessor.”

297

Origin, Ed. i. p. 190, vi. p. 230.

298

This is one of the most definite statements in the present Essay of the possible importance of sports or what would now be called mutations. As is well known the author afterwards doubted whether species could arise in this way. See Origin, Ed. v. p. 103, vi. p. 110, also Life and Letters, vol. iii. p. 107.

299

See Origin, Ed. i. p. 210, vi. p. 322, where the question is discussed for the case of instincts with a proviso that the same argument applies to structure. It is briefly stated in its general bearing in Origin, Ed. i. p. 87, vi. p. 106.

300

«Note in original.» No one will dispute that the gliding is most useful, probably necessary for the species in question.

301

«Note in original.» Is this the Galeopithecus? I forget. «Galeopithecus “or the flying Lemur” is mentioned in the corresponding discussion in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 181, vi. p. 217, as formerly placed among the bats. I do not know why it is described as partly aquatic in its habits.»

302

In the Origin, Ed. vi. p. 221, the author modified the statement that it never climbs trees; he also inserted a sentence quoting Mr Hudson to the effect that in other districts this woodpecker climbs trees and bores holes. See Mr Darwin’s paper, Zoolog. Soc. Proc., 1870, and Life and Letters, iii. p. 153.

303

Note by the late Alfred Newton. Richardson in Fauna Boreali-Americana, i. p. 49.

304

«Note in original.» See Richardson a far better case of a polecat animal «Mustela vison», which half-year is aquatic. «Mentioned in Origin, Ed. i. p. 179, vi. p. 216.»

305

In the Origin the division of the work into Parts I and II is omitted. In the MS. the chapters of Part II are numbered afresh, the present being Ch. I of Pt. II. I have thought it best to call it Ch. IV and there is evidence that Darwin had some thought of doing the same. It corresponds to Ch. IX of Origin, Ed. i., Ch. X in Ed. vi.

306

In the Essay of 1842 the author uses astronomy in the same manner as an illustration. In the Origin this does not occur; the reference to the action of secondary causes is more general, e. g. Ed. i. p. 488, vi. p. 668.

307

It is interesting to find the argument from sterility given so prominent a place. In a corresponding passage in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 480, vi. p. 659, it is more summarily treated. The author gives, as the chief bar to the acceptance of evolution, the fact that “we are always slow in admitting any great change of which we do not see the intermediate steps”; and goes on to quote Lyell on geological action. It will be remembered that the question of sterility remained a difficulty for Huxley.

308

Similar statements occur in the Essay of 1842, p. 24, note 1, and in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 299.

309

In the Origin, Ed. i. p. 280, vi. p. 414 he uses his newly-acquired knowledge of pigeons to illustrate this point.

310

Compare the Origin, Ed. i. p. 281, vi. p. 414.

311

Origin, Ed. i. p. 301, vi. p. 440.

312

Origin, Ed. i. p. 329, vi. p. 471.

313

The structure of the Pachyderm leg was a favourite with the author. It is discussed in the Essay of 1842, p. 48. In the present Essay the following sentence in the margin appears to refer to Pachyderms and Ruminants: “There can be no doubt, if we banish all fossils, existing groups stand more separate.” The following occurs between the lines “The earliest forms would be such as others could radiate from.”

314

Origin, Ed. i. p. 307, vi. p. 448.

315

«Pencil insertion by the author.» The parent-forms of Mollusca would probably differ greatly from all recent, – it is not directly that any one division of Mollusca would descend from first time unaltered, whilst others had become metamorphosed from it.

316

Origin, Ed. i. p. 291, vi. p. 426.

317

«Note in original.» Reflect on coming in of the Chalk, extending from Iceland to the Crimea.

318

Origin, Ed. i. p. 282, vi. p. 416.

319

Origin, Ed. i. pp. 288, 300, vi. pp. 422, 438.

320

«Note in original.» Neither highest or lowest fish (i. e. Myxina «?» or Lepidosiren) could be preserved in intelligible condition in fossils.

321

Origin, Ed. i. p. 290, vi. p. 425.

322

See Origin, Ed. i. p. 310, vi. p. 452 for Lyell's metaphor. I am indebted to Prof. Judd for pointing out that Darwin’s version of the metaphor is founded on the first edition of Lyell’s Principles, vol. I. and vol. III.; see the Essay of 1842, p. 27.

323

See More Letters, vol. I. pp. 344-7, for Darwin’s interest in the celebrated observations of Hilgendorf and Hyatt.

324

This corresponds partly to Origin, Ed. i. p. 294, vi. p. 431.

325

Origin, Ed. i. p. 299, vi. p. 437.

326

This chapter corresponds to ch. X of Origin, Ed. i., vi. ch. XI, “On the geological succession of organic beings.”

327

Origin, Ed. i. p. 312, vi. p. 453.

328

In the margin the author has written “Lonsdale.” This refers to W. Lonsdale’s paper “Notes on the age of the Limestone of South Devonshire,” Geolog. Soc. Trans., Series 2, vol. V. 1840, p. 721. According to Mr H. B. Woodward (History of the Geological Society of London, 1907, p. 107) “Lonsdale’s ‘important and original suggestion of the existence of an intermediary type of Palæozoic fossils, since called Devonian,’ led to a change which was then ‘the greatest ever made at one time in the classification of our English formations’.” Mr Woodward’s quotations are from Murchison and Buckland.

329

«Note in original.» Better begin with this. If species really, after catastrophes, created in showers over world, my theory false. «In the above passage the author is obviously close to his theory of divergence.»

330

Opposite to this passage the author has written “d’Archiac, Forbes, Lyell.”

331

This passage, for which the author gives as authorities the names of Lyell, Forbes and Ehrenberg, corresponds in part to the discussion beginning on p. 313 of Origin, Ed. i., vi. p. 454.

332

The author gives Falconer as his authority: see Origin, Ed. i. p. 313, vi. p. 454.

333

This corresponds approximately to Origin, Ed. i. p. 317, vi. p. 458.

334

The case of Trigonia, a great Secondary genus of shells surviving in a single species in the Australian seas, is given as an example in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 321, vi. p. 463.

335

This point, on which the author laid much stress, is discussed in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 319, vi. p. 461.

336

Origin, Ed. i. p. 72, vi. p. 89.

337

This case does not occur in the Origin, Ed.

338

An almost identical sentence occurs in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 320, vi. p. 462.

339

Origin, Ed. i. p. 316, vi. p. 457.

340

Chapters XI and XII in the Origin, Ed. i., vi. chs. XII and XIII (“On geographical distribution”) show signs of having been originally one, in the fact that one summary serves for both. The geological element is not separately treated there, nor is there a separate section on “how far these laws accord with the theory, &c.”

In the MS. the author has here written in the margin “If same species appear at two spot at once, fatal to my theory.” See Origin, Ed. i. p. 352, vi. p. 499

341

This division of the land into regions does not occur in the Origin, Ed. i.

342

Origin, Ed. i. p. 346, vi. p. 493.

343

Opposite this passage is written “not botanically,” in Sir J. D. Hooker’s hand. The word palms is underlined three times and followed by three exclamation marks. An explanatory note is added in the margin “singular paucity of palms and epiphytes in Trop. Africa compared with Trop. America and Ind. Or.” «=East Indies».

344

This partly corresponds to Origin, Ed. i. p. 337, vi. p. 483.

345

On the general importance of barriers, see Origin, Ed. i. p. 347, vi. p. 494.

346

Origin, Ed. i. p. 348, vi. p. 495.

347

«Note in original.» The same laws seem to govern distribution of species and genera, and individuals in time and space. «See Origin, Ed. i. p. 350, vi. p. 497, also a passage in the last chapter, p. 146.»

348

Origin, Ed. i. p. 404, vi. p. 559.

349

Origin, Ed. i. p. 349, vi. p. 496.

350

The case of the ostrich (Rhea) occurs in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 349, vi. p. 496.

351

«Note in original.» There is a hare in S. America, – so bad example.

352

See Origin, Ed. i. p. 349, vi. p. 497.

353

For the general problem of Oceanic Islands, see Origin, Ed. i. p. 388, vi. p. 541.

354

This is an illustration of the general theory of barriers (Origin, Ed. i. p. 347, vi. p. 494). At i. p. 391, vi. p. 544 the question is discussed from the point of view of means of transport. Between the lines, above the words “with that land,” the author wrote “Cause, formerly joined, no one doubts after Lyell.”

355

Origin, Ed. i. p. 390, vi. p. 543.

356

See Origin, Ed. i. p. 397, vi. p. 552.

357

The Cape de Verde and Galapagos Archipelagoes are compared in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 398, vi. p. 553. See also Journal of Researches, 1860, p. 393.

358

In the Origin, Ed. i. p. 390, a strong point is made of birds which immigrated “with facility and in a body” not having been modified. Thus the author accounts for the small percentage of peculiar “marine birds.”

359

“The affinities of the St Helena flora are strongly South African.” Hooker’s Lecture on Insular Floras in the Gardeners’ Chronicle, Jan. 1867.

360

It is impossible to make out the precise form which the author intended to give to this sentence, but the meaning is clear.

361

This is no doubt true, the flora of the Sandwich group however has marked American affinities.

362

See Origin, Ed. i. p. 365, vi. p. 515. The present discussion was written before the publication of Forbes’ celebrated paper on the same subject; see Life and Letters, vol. I. p. 88.

363

The apparent breakdown of the doctrine of barriers is slightly touched on in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 365, vi. p. 515.

364

In the Origin, Ed. i. p. 375, vi. p. 526, the author points out that on the mountains at the Cape of Good Hope “some few representative European forms are found, which have not been discovered in the inter-tropical parts of Africa.”

365

See Hooker’s Lecture on Insular Floras in the Gardeners’ Chronicle, Jan. 1867.

366

In the margin the author has written “(Forbes).” This may have been inserted at a date later than 1844, or it may refer to a work by Forbes earlier than his Alpine paper.

367

See Origin, Ed. i. p. 367, vi. p. 517.

368

«Note in original.» Perhaps vitality checked by cold and so prevented germinating. «On the carriage of seeds by icebergs, see Origin, Ed. i. p. 363, vi. p. 513.»

369

A note by the author gives “many authors” apparently as authority for this statement.

370

Opposite to this passage, in the margin, the author has written: – “too hypothetical.”

371

The Cordillera is described as supplying a great line of invasion in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 378.

372

This is an approximation to the author’s views on trans-tropical migration (Origin, Ed. i. pp. 376-8). See Thiselton-Dyer’s interesting discussion in Darwin and Modern Science, p. 304.

373

See Hooker’s Lecture on Insular Floras in the Gardeners’ Chronicle, Jan. 1867.

374

«Note by the author.» Similarity of flora of coral islands easily explained.

375

On centres of creation see Origin, Ed. i. p. 352, vi. p. 499.

376

In the Journal of Researches, Ed. 1860, p. 124, the distribution of the Bizcacha is described as limited by the river Uruguay. The case is not I think given in the Origin.

377

In the Origin, Ed. i. a special section (p. 356, vi. p. 504) is devoted to Means of Dispersal. The much greater prominence given to this subject in the Origin is partly accounted for by the author’s experiments being of later date, i. e. 1855 (Life and Letters, vol. II. p. 53). The carriage of fish by whirlwinds is given in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 384, vi. p. 536.

378

The case of islands serving as halting places is given in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 357, vi. p. 505. But here the evidence of this having occurred is supposed to be lost by the subsidence of the islands, not merely by the extinction of the species.

379

“We find no inexplicable cases of the same mammal inhabiting distant points of the world.” Origin, Ed. i. p. 352, vi. p. 500. See also Origin, Ed. i. p. 393, vi. p. 547.

380

«Note by the author.» Many authors. «See Origin, Ed. i. p. 394, vi. p. 547.»

381

Nutria is the Spanish for otter, and is now a synonym for Lutra. The otter on the Atlantic coast is distinguished by minute differences from the Pacific species. Both forms are said to take to the sea. In fact the case presents no especial difficulties.

382

In Origin, Ed. i. p. 394, vi. p. 548, bats are mentioned as an explicable exception to this statement.

383

This reference is doubtless to Mydaus, a badger-like animal from the mountains of Java and Sumatra (Wallace, Geographical Distribution, ii. p. 199). The instance does not occur in the Origin but the author remarks (Origin, Ed. i. p. 376, vi. p. 527) that cases, strictly analogous to the distribution of plants, occur among terrestrial mammals.

384

See Origin, Ed. i. p. 313, vi. p. 454.

385

The comparison between New Zealand and the Cape is given in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 389, vi. p. 542.

386

In a corresponding discussion in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 393, vi. p. 546, stress is laid on the distribution of Batrachians not of reptiles.

387

The whole argument is given – more briefly than here – in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 394, vi. p. 547.

388

See Origin, Ed i. p. 393, vi. p. 547. The discussion is much fuller in the present Essay.

389

See Origin, Ed. i. p. 339, vi. p. 485.

390

In the Origin, Ed. i. p. 339, vi. p. 485, which corresponds to this part of the present Essay, the author does not make a separate section for such cases as the occurrence of fossil Marsupials in Europe (Origin, Ed. i. p. 340, vi. p. 486) as he does in the present Essay; see the section on Changes in geographical distribution, p. 177.

391

“We can understand how it is that all the forms of life, ancient and recent, make together one grand system; for all are connected by generation.” Origin, Ed. i. p. 344, vi. p. 491.

392

The word hyæna is erased. There appear to be no fossil Hyænidæ in S. America.

393

See note 1, p. 175, also Origin, Ed. i. p. 340, vi. p. 486.

394

«Note by the author.» And see Eocene European mammals in N. America.

395

«Note by the author.» All this requires much verification.

396

This point seems to be less insisted on in the Origin.

397

Origin, Ed. i. p. 356, vi. p. 504.

398

«Note by the author.» D'Orbigny shows that this is not so.

399

This instance occurs in the Essay of 1842, p. 32, but not in the Origin; though the importance of isolation is discussed (Origin, Ed. i. p. 104, vi. p. 127).

400

The meaning of the words within parenthesis is obscure.

401

It is unusual to find the author speaking of the selection of sports rather than small variations.

402

This brief discussion is represented in the Origin, Ed. i. by a much fuller one (pp. 356, 383, vi. pp. 504, 535). See, however, the section in the present Essay, p. 168.[Link: Page 168]

403

On the formation of new stations, see Origin, Ed. i. p. 292, vi. p. 429.

404

Origin, Ed. i. pp. 390, 400, vi. pp. 543, 554.

405

In the MS. some of the species … nourishing quality is doubtfully erased. It seems clear that he doubted whether such a problematical supply of food would be likely to cause variation.

406

At this time the author clearly put more faith in the importance of sport-like variation than in later years.

407

Origin, Ed. i. p. 398, vi. p. 553.

408

See Origin, Ed. i. p. 403, vi. p. 558, where the author speaks of Alpine humming birds, rodents, plants, &c. in S. America, all of strictly American forms. In the MS. the author has added between the lines “As world has been getting hotter, there has been radiation from high-lands, – old view? – curious; I presume Diluvian in origin.”

409

See the comparison between the Malay Archipelago and the probable former state of Europe, Origin, Ed. i. p. 299, vi. p. 438, also Origin, Ed. i. p. 292, vi. p. 429.

410

Origin, Ed. i. p. 349, vi. p. 496. The arrangement of the argument in the present Essay leads to repetition of statements made in the earlier part of the book: in the Origin this is avoided.

411

Origin, Ed. i. p. 389, vi. p. 542.

412

Origin, Ed. i. p. 393, vi. p. 547.

413

Origin, Ed. i. pp. 350, 404, vi. pp. 498, 559.

414

Origin, Ed. i. p. 352, vi. p. 500.

415

Origin, Ed. i. p. 313, vi. p. 454.

416

Origin, Ed. i. p. 341, vi. p. 487.

417

Origin, Ed. i. p. 396, vi. p. 549.

418

Origin, Ed. i. p. 340, vi. p. 486.

419

Origin, Ed. i. p. 299, vi. p. 437.

420

“Nature may almost be said to have guarded against the frequent discovery of her transitional or linking forms,” Origin, Ed. i. p. 292. A similar but not identical passage occurs in Origin, Ed. vi. p. 428.