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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![to above structure (as invariable as all other parts1) from their absolute similarity to monstrous cases, where from accident, certain organs are not de¬ veloped; as infant without arms or fingers with mere stump representing them: teeth represented by, mere points of ossification: headless children with mere button,—viscera represented by small amorphous masses, &c.,—the tail by mere stump,— a solid horn by minute hanging one2 3. There is a tendency in all these cases, when life is preserved, for such structures to become hereditary. We see it in tailless dogs and cats. In plants we see this strikingly,—in Thyme, in Linumflavum,—stamen in Geraniumpyrenaicum*. Nectaries abort into petals in Columbine (.Aquilegia), produced from some acci¬ dent and then become hereditary, in some cases only when propagated by buds, in other cases by seed. These cases have been produced suddenly by accident in early growth, but it is part of law of growth that when any organ is not used it tends to diminish (duck’s wing4?) muscles of dog’s ears, (and of) rabbits, muscles wither, arteries grow up. When eye born defective, optic nerve (Tuco Tuco) is atro¬ phied. As every part whether useful or not (diseases, double flowers) tends to be transmitted to offspring, the origin of abortive organs whether produced at the birth or slowly acquired is easily understood in domestic races of organisms: [a struggle between the atrophy and hereditariness. Abortive organs in domestic races.] There will always be a struggle between atrophy of an organ rendered useless, and 1 I imagine the meaning to be that abortive organs are specific characters in contrast to monstrosities. 2 Minute hanging horns are mentioned in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 454, vi. p. 625, as occurring in hornless breeds of cattle. 3 Linum jlavum is dimorphic: thyme gynodisecious. It is not clear what point is referred to under Geranium pyrenaicum. 4 The author’s work on duck’s wings &c. is in Var. under Dom., Ed. 2, i. p. 299.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b31351761_0080.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
