THE FORMS OF PROSE LITERATURE EXAMPLES CHARLES DARWIN: THE FORMATION OF SPECIES From "The Origin of Species," London, 1875, ch. iv. pp. 90-97. This first selection shows how much assistance a diagram may be in putting before your mind a swarm of facts which you must consider all at the same time. They must be simplified so that you shall look at only a single aspect of each: here Darwin discusses only the comparative divergence of species, leaving out of view all their other manifold aspects. I have discussed this subject fully in the Introduction, p. 29. It is worth pointing out, however, the way in which Darwin sums up his results in the last paragraph of the selection; and he not only sums them up, but discusses the facts in the new light which he has gained by this consideration of a special relation. AFTER the foregoing discussion, which has been much compressed, we may assume that the modified descendants of any one species will succeed so much the better as they become more diversified in structure, and are thus enabled to encroach on places occupied by other beings. Now let us see how this principle of benefit being derived from divergence of character, combined with the principles of natural selection and of extinction, tends to act. |