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¡¨Another¡¡startling¡¡objection¡¡is¡¡in¡¡the¡¡infinite¡¡local¡¡variation¡¡of¡¡organic¡¡forms¡£¡¡¡¡Did¡¡the¡¡vegetable¡¡and¡¡animal¡¡kingdoms¡¡consist¡¡of¡¡a¡¡definite¡¡number¡¡of¡¡species¡¡adapted¡¡to¡¡peculiarities¡¡of¡¡soil¡¡and¡¡climate£»¡¡and¡¡universally¡¡distributed£»¡¡the¡¡fact¡¡would¡¡be¡¡in¡¡harmony¡¡with¡¡the¡¡idea¡¡of¡¡special¡¡exertion¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡the¡¡truth¡¡is¡¡that¡¡various¡¡regions¡¡exhibit¡¡variations¡¡altogether¡¡without¡¡apparent¡¡end¡¡or¡¡purpose¡£¡¡¡¡Professor¡¡Henslow¡¡enumerates¡¡forty¡­five¡¡distinct¡¡flowers¡¡or¡¡sets¡¡of¡¡plants¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡surface¡¡of¡¡the¡¡earth£»¡¡notwithstanding¡¡that¡¡many¡¡of¡¡these¡¡would¡¡be¡¡equally¡¡suitable¡¡elsewhere¡£¡¡The¡¡animals¡¡of¡¡different¡¡continents¡¡are¡¡equally¡¡various£»¡¡few¡¡species¡¡being¡¡the¡¡same¡¡in¡¡any¡¡two£»¡¡though¡¡the¡¡general¡¡character¡¡may¡¡conform¡£¡¡The¡¡inference¡¡at¡¡present¡¡drawn¡¡from¡¡this¡¡fact¡¡is¡¡that¡¡there¡¡must¡¡have¡¡been£»¡¡to¡¡use¡¡the¡¡language¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Rev¡£¡¡Dr¡£¡¡Pye¡¡Smith£»¡¡'separate¡¡and¡¡original¡¡creations£»¡¡perhaps¡¡at¡¡different¡¡and¡¡respectively¡¡distinct¡¡epochs¡£'¡¡It¡¡seems¡¡hardly¡¡conceivable¡¡that¡¡rational¡¡men¡¡should¡¡give¡¡an¡¡adherence¡¡to¡¡such¡¡a¡¡doctrine¡¡when¡¡we¡¡think¡¡of¡¡what¡¡it¡¡involves¡£¡¡In¡¡the¡¡single¡¡fact¡¡that¡¡it¡¡necessitates¡¡a¡¡special¡¡fiat¡¡of¡¡the¡¡inconceivable¡¡Author¡¡of¡¡this¡¡sand¡­cloud¡¡of¡¡worlds¡¡to¡¡produce¡¡the¡¡flora¡¡of¡¡St¡£¡¡Helena£»¡¡we¡¡read¡¡its¡¡more¡¡than¡¡sufficient¡¡condemnation¡£¡¡It¡¡surely¡¡harmonizes¡¡far¡¡better¡¡with¡¡our¡¡general¡¡ideas¡¡of¡¡nature¡¡to¡¡suppose¡¡that£»¡¡just¡¡as¡¡all¡¡else¡¡in¡¡this¡¡far¡­spread¡¡science¡¡was¡¡formed¡¡on¡¡the¡¡laws¡¡impressed¡¡upon¡¡it¡¡at¡¡first¡¡by¡¡its¡¡Author£»¡¡so¡¡also¡¡was¡¡this¡£¡¡An¡¡exception¡¡presented¡¡to¡¡us¡¡in¡¡such¡¡a¡¡light¡¡appears¡¡admissible¡¡only¡¡when¡¡we¡¡succeed¡¡in¡¡forbidding¡¡our¡¡minds¡¡to¡¡follow¡¡out¡¡those¡¡reasoning¡¡processes¡¡to¡¡which£»¡¡by¡¡another¡¡law¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Almighty£»¡¡they¡¡tend£»¡¡and¡¡for¡¡which¡¡they¡¡are¡¡adapted¡£¡¨£§4£§


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DARWIN¡¡AND¡¡THE¡¡ORIGIN¡¡OF¡¡SPECIES

But¡¡even¡¡at¡¡this¡¡time¡¡the¡¡fancied¡¡security¡¡of¡¡the¡¡special¡­creation¡¡hypothesis¡¡was¡¡by¡¡no¡¡means¡¡real¡£¡¡¡¡Though¡¡it¡¡seemed¡¡so¡¡invincible£»¡¡its¡¡real¡¡position¡¡was¡¡that¡¡of¡¡an¡¡apparently¡¡impregnable¡¡fortress¡¡beneath¡¡which£»¡¡all¡¡unbeknown¡¡to¡¡the¡¡garrison£»¡¡a¡¡powder¡­mine¡¡has¡¡been¡¡dug¡¡and¡¡lies¡¡ready¡¡for¡¡explosion¡£¡¡For¡¡already¡¡there¡¡existed¡¡in¡¡the¡¡secluded¡¡work¡­room¡¡of¡¡an¡¡English¡¡naturalist£»¡¡a¡¡manuscript¡¡volume¡¡and¡¡a¡¡portfolio¡¡of¡¡notes¡¡which¡¡might¡¡have¡¡sufficed£»¡¡if¡¡given¡¡publicity£»¡¡to¡¡shatter¡¡the¡¡entire¡¡structure¡¡of¡¡the¡¡special¡­creation¡¡hypothesis¡£¡¡The¡¡naturalist¡¡who£»¡¡by¡¡dint¡¡of¡¡long¡¡and¡¡patient¡¡effort£»¡¡had¡¡constructed¡¡this¡¡powder¡­mine¡¡of¡¡facts¡¡was¡¡Charles¡¡Robert¡¡Darwin£»¡¡grandson¡¡of¡¡the¡¡author¡¡of¡¡Zoonomia¡£

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At¡¡first¡¡the¡¡full¡¡force¡¡of¡¡these¡¡observations¡¡did¡¡not¡¡strike¡¡him£»¡¡for£»¡¡under¡¡sway¡¡of¡¡Lyell's¡¡geological¡¡conceptions£»¡¡he¡¡tentatively¡¡explained¡¡the¡¡relative¡¡absence¡¡of¡¡life¡¡on¡¡one¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Galapagos¡¡Islands¡¡by¡¡suggesting¡¡that¡¡perhaps¡¡no¡¡species¡¡had¡¡been¡¡created¡¡since¡¡that¡¡island¡¡arose¡£¡¡But¡¡gradually¡¡it¡¡dawned¡¡upon¡¡him¡¡that¡¡such¡¡facts¡¡as¡¡he¡¡had¡¡observed¡¡¡¨could¡¡only¡¡be¡¡explained¡¡on¡¡the¡¡supposition¡¡that¡¡species¡¡gradually¡¡become¡¡modified¡£¡¨¡¡From¡¡then¡¡on£»¡¡as¡¡he¡¡afterwards¡¡asserted£»¡¡the¡¡subject¡¡haunted¡¡him

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