292 THE ORIGIX OF SPECIES 



niggard in innovation. But why this shoukl be a hiw 

 of nature if each species has been independently created 

 no man can exphxin. 



Many other facts are, as it seems to me, explicable 

 on this theory. How strange it is that a bird, under 

 the form of a woodpecker, should prey on insects on the 

 ground; that upland geese, which rarely or never swim, 

 should possess webbed feet; that a thrush-like bird 

 should dive and feed on sub-aquatic insects; and that a 

 petrel should have the habits and structure fitting it for 

 the life of an auk! and so in endless other cases. But 

 on the view of each species constantly trying to increase 

 in number, with natural selection always ready to adapt 

 the slowly varying descendants of each to any unoccupied 

 or ill-occupied place in nature, these facts cease to be 

 strange, or might even have been anticipated. 



We can to a certain extent understand how it is that 

 there is so much beauty throughout nature; for this may 

 be largely attributed to the agency of selection. That 

 beauty, according to our sense of it, is not universal, 

 must be admitted by every one who will look at some 

 venomous snakes, at some fishes, and at certain hideous 

 bats with a distorted resemblance to the human face. 

 Sexual selection has given the most brilliant colors, ele- 

 gant patterns, and other ornaments to the males, and 

 sometimes to both sexes of many birds, butterflies, and 

 other animals. With birds it has often rendered the 

 voice of the male musical to the female, as well as 

 to our ears. Flowers and fruit have been rendered con- 

 spicuous by brilliant colors in contrast with the green 

 foliage, in order that the flowers may be easily seen, 

 visited, and fertilized by insects, and the seeds dissem- 



