48 SPECIES NOT 



be confined to a description of the ornamentation 

 of the perfect being, there are no means of dis- 

 tinguishing certainly the variety from species, 

 should the former differ from the latter essentially 

 in this respect; and I have no doubt that every 

 effort at systematization with a knowledge of 

 perfect forms alone, contains many illustrations 

 of the attendant difficulties of discrimination." 



Mr. Woolluston considers species "to involve 

 that ideal relationship amongst all its members, 

 which the descent from a common parent can 

 alone convey;" while varieties, he thinks, "should 

 be restricted, unless I am mistaken, to those 

 various aberrations from their peculiar type, 

 which are sufficiently constant and isolated in 

 their general character, to appear to be at first 

 sight distinct from it." (Op. Cit, page 4.) 



With the above opinions Mr. Woollaston "as- 

 sumes" as true, that there have been "specific 

 centres of creation;" a doctrine which is supported 

 by evidence of the highest kind, brought forward 

 by the late lamented Edward Forbes. 



"Any two races of animals," says Dr. Carpenter, 

 "are considered to be of distinct species, which 

 are marked by characters of difference that are 

 constantly exhibited; so that neither shews any 

 tendency to lose its own peculiarity, or to ac- 

 quire that of the other. Thus, notwithstanding 

 the variety of form exhibited by the several 

 races of dog, we never see any which present 

 so strong a resemblance to a fox as to be at 

 all in danger of being mistaken for that animal ; 



