﻿10 
  Descent 
  

  

  concerning 
  the 
  real 
  nature 
  of 
  species 
  in 
  the 
  wild 
  

   state. 
  The 
  other 
  part 
  rests 
  on 
  my 
  own 
  obser- 
  

   vations 
  and 
  experiments, 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  botanical 
  

   garden 
  of 
  the 
  University 
  of 
  Amsterdam. 
  

  

  For 
  many 
  years 
  past 
  I 
  have 
  tried 
  to 
  elucidate 
  

   the 
  hereditary 
  conditions 
  of 
  species 
  and 
  varie- 
  

   ties, 
  and 
  the 
  occasional 
  occurrence 
  of 
  mutations, 
  

   that 
  suddenly 
  produce 
  new 
  forms. 
  

  

  The 
  present 
  discussion 
  has 
  a 
  double 
  purpose. 
  

   On 
  one 
  side 
  it 
  will 
  give 
  the 
  justification 
  of 
  the 
  

   theory 
  of 
  mutations, 
  as 
  derived 
  from 
  the 
  facts 
  

   now 
  at 
  hand. 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  hand 
  it 
  will 
  point 
  

   out 
  the 
  deficiencies 
  of 
  available 
  evidence, 
  and 
  

   indicate 
  the 
  ways 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  lacunae 
  may 
  

   gradually 
  be 
  filled. 
  Experimental 
  work 
  on 
  

   heredity 
  does 
  not 
  require 
  vast 
  installments 
  or 
  

   a 
  costly 
  laboratory 
  equipment. 
  It 
  demands 
  

   chiefly 
  assiduity 
  and 
  exactitude. 
  Any 
  one 
  who 
  

   has 
  these 
  two 
  qualities, 
  and 
  who 
  has 
  a 
  small 
  

   garden 
  at 
  his 
  disposal 
  is 
  requested 
  to 
  take 
  part 
  

   in 
  this 
  line 
  of 
  investigation. 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  observe 
  directly 
  the 
  birth 
  of 
  new 
  

   forms 
  it 
  is 
  necessary, 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  place, 
  to 
  be 
  

   fully 
  clear 
  concerning 
  the 
  question 
  as 
  to 
  what 
  

   forms 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  expected 
  to 
  arise 
  from 
  others, 
  

   and 
  before 
  proceeding 
  to 
  a 
  demonstration 
  of 
  the 
  

   origin 
  of 
  species, 
  it 
  is 
  pertinent 
  to 
  raise 
  the 
  

   question 
  as 
  to 
  what 
  constitutes 
  a 
  species. 
  

  

  Species 
  is 
  a 
  word, 
  which 
  always 
  has 
  had 
  a 
  

  

  