On the Origin of Species* 103 



other words, if we could create species. But as the case stands, 

 it is a mere petitio principii. 



In this way our author, in the opening paragraphs of his first 

 chapter, quietly ignores a number of facts essential to the validity 

 of the received views of species, and so leads the unwary reader 

 to enter on the consideration of variation with an impression 

 already formed that varieties and species are not distinguishable. 

 We take the liberty of entering on the enquiry in another spirit, 

 and of beginning with the fact that we have species which have 

 remained distinct in the whole period of human experience, and 

 also as far back in geological time as we can trace any of them. 

 This being premised, we may enquire what variations man has 

 been able to eflfect in those species which he has domesticated, 

 and by what processes ?ind under what laws these changes have 

 occurred. 



These changes have been very great. Mr. Darwin has studied 

 the domestic pigeon as a convenient instance, and his investiga- 

 tions on this animal are worthy of all praise, and establish most 

 clearly the great amount of variation of which some species are 

 susceptible. We quote this in full, as the most valuable portion 

 of the book : — 



"Believing that it is always best to study some special group, I 

 have, after deliberation, taken up domestic pigeons. I have kept 

 every breed which I could purchase or obtain, and have been most 

 kindly favoured with skins from several quarters of the world, 

 more especially by the Hon. W. Elliot from India, and by the 

 Hon. C. Murray from Persia. Many trei.tises in different langu- 

 ages have been published on pigeons, and some of them are very 

 important, as being of considerable antiquity. I have associated 

 with several eminent fanciers, and have been permitted to join 

 two of the London Pigeon Clubs. The diversity of the breeds is 

 something astonishing. Compare the English carrier and the 

 short -faced tumbler, and see the wonderful diflference in their 

 beaks, entailing corresponding diflferences in their skulls. The 

 carrier, more especially the male bird, is also remarkable from 

 the wonderful development of the carunculated skin above the 

 head, and this is accompanied by greatly elongated eyelids, very 

 large external orifices to the nostrils, and a wide gape of mouth. 

 The short-faced tumbler has a beak in outline almost like that of 

 a finch ; and the common tumbler has the singular and strictly 

 inherited habit of flying at a great height in a compact flock, and 



