Evolution, old and new, or, The theories of Buffon, Dr. Erasmus Darwin and Lamarck as compared with that of Charles Darwin / By Samuel Butler, author of "Erewhon," ... Op. 4.

  • Butler, Samuel, 1835-1902.
Date:
1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Evolution, old and new, or, The theories of Buffon, Dr. Erasmus Darwin and Lamarck as compared with that of Charles Darwin / By Samuel Butler, author of "Erewhon," ... Op. 4. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    that we can descend by almost imperceptible degrees from the most perfect creature to the most formless matter—from the most highly organized animal to the most entirely inorganic substance. He will recognize this gradation as the great work of Nature ; and he will observe it not only as regards size and form, but also in respect of movements, and in the successive generations of every species.* Hence, he continues, arises the difficulty of ar- riving at any perfect system or method in dealing either with Nature as a whole or even with any single one of her subdivisions. The gradations are so subtle that we are often obliged to make arbitrary divisions. Nature knows nothing about our classifications, and does not choose to lend herself to them without reserve. We therefore see a number of intermediate species and objects which it is very hard to classify, and which of necessity derange oar system whatever it may be. The attempt to form perfect systems has led to such disastrous results that it is now more easy to learn botany than the terminology which has been adopted as its language.:]: After saying that la mar die de la Nature has been misunderstood, and that her progress has ever been by a succession of slow steps, he maintains that the only proper course is to class together whatever objects resemble one another, and to separate those which are unlike. If individual specimens are absolutely alike, or differ so little that the differences can hardly be perceived, they must be classed as of the same species ; * «Hist. Nat.,' torn. i. p. 13, 1749. f ^id. X Ibid- P- 16-