S02 THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES 



writer. He likewise often assumes that I attribute 

 nothing to variation, independently of natural selection, 

 whereas in the work just referred to 1 have collected a 

 greater number of well-established cases than can be 

 found in any other work known to me. My judgment 

 may not be trustworthy, but after reading with care Mr. 

 Mivart's book, and comparing each section with what I 

 have said on the same head, I never before felt so 

 strongly convinced of the general truth of the conclusions 

 here arrived at, subject, of course, in so intricate a sub- 

 ject, to much partial error. 



All Mr. Mivart's objections will be, or have been, 

 considered in the present volume. The one new point 

 which appears to have struck many readers is, "that nat- 

 ural selection is incompetent to account for the incipient 

 stages of useful structures." This subject is intimately 

 connected with that of the gradation of characters, often 

 accompanied by a change of function — for instance, the 

 conversion of a swimbladder into lungs — points which 

 were discussed in the last chapter under two headings. 

 Nevertheless, I will here consider in some detail several 

 of the cases advanced by Mr. Mivart, selecting those 

 which are the most illustrative, as want of space pre- 

 vents me from considering all. 



The giraffe, by its lofty stature, much elongated neck, 

 fore-legs, head and tongue, has its whole frame beauti- 

 fully adapted for browsing on the higher branches of 

 trees. It can thus obtain food beyond the reach of the 

 other Ungulata or hoofed animals inhabiting the same 

 country; and this must be a great advantage to it during 

 dearths. The Niata cattle in South America show us 

 how small a difference in structure may make, during 



I 



