

The Origin of Species 



possessor, in the same way as any great mechan- 

 ical invention is the summing up of the labour, 

 the experience, the reason, and even the blunders 

 of numerous workmen ; when we thus view each 

 organic being, how far more interesting — I speak 

 from experience — does the study of natural his- 

 tory become ! 



A grand and almost untrodden field of inquiry 

 will be opened, on the causes and laws of varia- 

 tion, on correlation, on the effects of use and dis- 

 use, on the direct action of external conditions, 

 and so forth. The study of domestic productions 

 will rise immensely in value. A new variety 

 raised by man will be a more important and 

 interesting subject for study than one more 

 species added to the infinitude of already recorded 

 species. Our classifications will come to be, as 

 far as they can be so made, genealogies; and will 

 then truly give what may be called the plan of 

 creation. The rules for classifying will no doubt 

 become simpler when we have a definite object 

 in view. We possess no pedigree or armorial 

 bearings; and we have to discover and trace the 

 many diverging lines of descent in our natural 

 genealogies, by characters of any kind which have 

 long been inherited. Rudimentary* organs will 

 speak infallibly with respect to the nature of long- 

 lost structures. Species and groups of sj>. 

 which arc called aberrant, and which may fan- 

 cifully be called living fossils, will aid us in form- 

 ing a picture of the ancient forms of life. Em- 

 * Vestigial is now preferred to rudimentary as a term. — Ed. 

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