TRANSMUTABLE. 35 



species, or the preparatory changes necessary to 

 such alteration should have been discovered ! It 

 is impossible to conceive that if such a change 

 took place that it would not be going on, how- 

 ever slowly, daily before our eyes. For, assuming 

 the origin of species from a single form, the 

 divergence and splitting up must have been so 

 enormous, that it would be inconceivable that 

 none of the lines should have fallen upon the 

 present race of mankind, or that, like other 

 known laws in nature, this one of variation or 

 transmutation should not have become manifest! 

 As an instance of the non- variability of animal 

 life I may mention here that Agassiz, in his 

 admirable work upon classification, states that 

 he has convinced himself by repeated and careful 

 examination, that the coral reefs of Florida have 

 taken at least two hundred thousand years to 

 form by Polyps, the descendants of which are 

 now living unaltered, and working away as fast 

 as ever. (Page 80.) 



The rest of Mr. Darwin's first chapter is 

 occupied in speculations about the origin of 

 domestic species from one or several wild ones, 

 the latter of which opinion he holds as to dogs 

 and fancy pigeons. He gives no opinion about 

 sheep or goats, but thinks with Mr. Blyth that 

 the Indian humped cattle descended from a 

 different stock from our European cattle. Horses 

 Mr. D. thinks descended from one wild stock. 

 Poultry not; Mr. Blyth believes they arose from 

 the wild Indian fowl, (Gallus bunkiva.) Ducks 



