Evolution: The Quest of Truth 167 



Therefore, for purposes of description and 

 classification, one must be regarded as a variety 

 of the other. If, however, a mountain chain 

 or an ocean separated the two geographical 

 regions, and thereby blotted out the inter- 

 mediates, there could be no hesitation in 

 awarding specific rank to each. 



This case is typical of the progress of creation: 

 each geographical area has plants and animals 

 peculiar to it, and in proportion as an area is 

 disjoined and unlike others are its living forms 

 peculiar and distinct. Many American plants 

 are very like those of Europe, but the Atlantic 

 Ocean so completely eliminates the possibility 

 of intermediates that botanists regard the plants 

 as geographical species. Thus we have another 

 illustration of the fact that species may be de- 

 fined not alone by intrinsic characters, but by 

 personalities, and often in terms of mountains, 

 plains, and oceans. 



Darwin's conception. 



It may interest you to have Darwin's view, 

 as expressed in the concluding paragraph of his 



