The foundations of The origin of species : a sketch written in 1842 / edited by Francis Darwin.
- Charles Darwin
- Date:
- 1909
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The foundations of The origin of species : a sketch written in 1842 / edited by Francis Darwin. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![Extermination. We have seen that in later periods the organisms have disappeared by degrees and [perhaps] probably by degrees in earlier, and I have said our theory requires it. As many naturalists seem to think extermination a most mysterious cir¬ cumstance1 and call in astonishing agencies, it is well to recall what we have shown concerning the struggle of nature. An exterminating agency is at work with every organism: we scarcely see it: if robins would increase to thousands in ten years how severe must the process be. How imperceptible a small in¬ crease : fossils become rare: possibly sudden exter¬ mination as Australia, but as present means very slow and many means of escape, I shall doubt very sudden exterminations. Who can explain why some species abound more,—why does marsh titmouse, or ring-ouzel, now little change,—why is one sea-slug rare and another common on our coasts,—why one species of Rhinoceros more than another,—why is (illegible) tiger of India so rare? Curious and general sources of error, the place of an organism is instantly filled up. We know state of earth has changed, and as earthquakes and tides go on, the state must change,— many geologists believe a slow gradual cooling. Now let us see in accordance with principles of [variation] specification explained in Sect. n. how species would probably be introduced and how such results accord with what is known. other.” The historian would discover that the inhabitants of the lower town were Greeks while those of the upper one were Italians. But he would be wrong in supposing that there had been a sudden change from the Greek to the Italian language in Campania. I think it is clear that Darwin’s metaphor is partly taken from this passage. See for instance (in the above passage from the Origin) such phrases as “history...written in a changing dialect”—“apparently abruptly changed forms of life.” The passage within [ ] in the above paragraph:—“Lyell’s views as far as they go &c.,” no doubt refers, as Professor Judd points out, to Lyell not going so far as Darwin on the question of the imperfection of the geological record. 1 On rarity and extinction see Origin, Ed. i. pp. 109, 319, vi. pp. 133,461.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b31351761_0062.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
