The Hunterian oration : Royal College of Surgeons of England, February 14th, 1895 / by J.W. Hulke.
- Hulke, J. W. (John Whitaker), 1830-1895.
- Date:
- 1895
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The Hunterian oration : Royal College of Surgeons of England, February 14th, 1895 / by J.W. Hulke. Source: Wellcome Collection.
34/46 page 30
![other natural production or productions; and that each is composed of parts common to most others, but differently arranged. Therefore in every natural production there is an appearance of an affinity in some of the parts of its composition [with those of some other natural production]; and where there are the greatest number of these affinities [or corre- sponding parts], the correspondence or affinity between those of one production with those of another, the nearer are those [natural productions] allied. In another passage, after premising with charac- teristic vigour of language that definitions are the most damnable things, he defines species as things that have the same relationship in their most essential properties, however they may differ in others. He continues :— Animals breeding in the full extent of that process constitute the species, although they may differ in some of their parts or other circum- stances ; but which [differences] are less essential, only constituting a variety. He comments on the greater tendency of domestic species to variation than obtains in wild animals, and he illustrates this difference by the many diverse breeds of dogs, and the few distinct races of wolves. He attributes this difference to the existence of domestic animals under other than their natural circumstances;—in short, he recognizes the plastic influence of environment. He perceives in a great number of species a considerable variety in the same ; and from this variety in the same species, it becomes](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21778760_0034.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
