Social England : a record of the progress of the people in religion, laws, learning, arts, industry, commerce, science, literature and manners, from the earliest times to the present day . in 1889. Here are related the facts which first gave hima definite basis for speculating upon the origin of species. Ithas been noted that in the MS. Journal (lS3-t)a reference occursto species as having been created which was suppressed in thepublished Journal. Darwins investigations upon speciesdefinitely began in 1S37; so that they occupied—though notcontinuously—twenty-one years up to the writing of the
Social England : a record of the progress of the people in religion, laws, learning, arts, industry, commerce, science, literature and manners, from the earliest times to the present day . in 1889. Here are related the facts which first gave hima definite basis for speculating upon the origin of species. Ithas been noted that in the MS. Journal (lS3-t)a reference occursto species as having been created which was suppressed in thepublished Journal. Darwins investigations upon speciesdefinitely began in 1S37; so that they occupied—though notcontinuously—twenty-one years up to the writing of the Originof Species. The facts that first set him thinking seriously uponthe subject arc meniioned at the beginning of the Origin. BIOLOGY. 431 18651 When on board Beagle as naturalist, he says, I wasmuch struck with certain facts in the distribution of the organicbemgs nihabiting South America, and in the geological relationsot the present to the past inhabitants of that continent. Therewas a smularity of type, he noticed, between distinct species inthe oontnient and in the adjoining islands ; and existing specieswere closely similar to fossil species in the same area. Why. DOWXE HOUSE, DOWNE, KENT should this geographical and geological relationship exist ifspecies were not derived from each other? This was thestarting-point; but it is remarkable how from the first openingof a note-book on species in 1887 Darwin saw all the bearings ofthe problem. The case of domesticated animals as capable otthrowing light upon it was already present. It seemed clearthat as new races of animals are formed by mans selection--this being the more or less conscious selection of certainindividuafs by breeders—so certain natural races nuist beselected to form new species. The question was, How didsuch selection become possible ? Darwin first saw his way to ananswer to this question in 1838, when he read, for amusement 432 THE RULE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS. Darwin and Maltlius. NaturalSelectio
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