80 THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES 



dition. In the last chapter I sliall give a brief recapitu- 

 lation of the whole work, and a few concluding remarks. 

 No one ought to feel surprise at much remaining as 

 yet unexplained in regard to the origin of species and 

 varieties, if he make due allowance for our profound 

 ignorance in regard to the mutual relations of the many 

 beings which live around us. Who can explain why one 

 species ranges widely and is very numerous, and why 

 another allied species has a narrow range and is rare / 

 Yet these relations are of the highest importance, for 

 they determine the present welfare and, as I believe, the 

 future success and modification of every inhabitant of this 

 world. Still less do we know of the mutual relations of 

 the innumerable inhabitants of the world during the many 

 past geological epochs in its history. Although much 

 remains obscure, and will long remain obscure, I can 

 entertain no doubt, after the most deliberate study and 

 dispassionate judgment of which I am capable, that the 

 view which most naturalists until recently entertained and 

 which I formerly entertained — namely, that each species 

 has been independently created — is erroneous. I am 

 fully convinced that species are not immutable; but that 

 those belonging to what are called the same genera are 

 lineal descendants of some other and generally extinct 

 species, in the same manner as the acknowledged varieties 

 of any one species are the descendants of that species. 

 Furthermore, I am convinced that Natural Selection has 

 been the most important, but not the exclusive, means of 

 modification. 



