CHAPTER X. 



THE GROWTH OF THE ' ORIGIN OF SPECIES.* 



[On page 67, the growth of the * Origin of Species * has 

 been briefly described in my father's words. The letters 

 given in the present and following chapters will illustrate and 

 amplify the history thus sketched out. 



It is clear that in the early part of the voyage of the 

 Beagle he did not feel it inconsistent with his views to express 

 himself in thoroughly orthodox language as to the genesis of 

 new species. Thus in 1834 he wrote* at Valparaiso: "I 

 have already found beds of recent shells yet retaining their 

 colour at an elevation of 1300 feet, and beneath, the level 

 country is strewn with them. It seems not a very improbable 

 conjecture that the want of animals may be owing to none 

 having been created since this country was raised from the 

 sea." 



This passage does not occur in the published ' Journal,' 

 the last proof of which was finished in 1837 ; and this fact 

 harmonizes with the change we know to have been proceed- 

 ing in his views. But in the published ' Journal ' we find pas- 

 sages which show a point of view more in accordance with 

 orthodox theological natural history than with his later views. 

 Thus, in speaking of the birds Synallaxis and Scytalopus (ist 

 edit. p. 353 ; 2nd edit. p. 289), he says : "When finding, as 

 in this case, any animal which seems to play so insignificant 



* MS. Journals, p. 46S. 



