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dogs, for it does not suit my purpose. That is their business. 

 Let them or not, just as they like. 



I believe that it is "a strange arrangement" of Nature to 

 " grant to species the power of producing hybrids," and then to 

 say to them, " Hitherto shalt thou go and no farther :" "No road 

 this way." I could have done much better than Nature, and my 

 path is, in my own opinion, a much better one than the old high 

 road. You may think that " species have been endowed with 

 sterility simply to prevent their being confounded in Nature. I 

 think not." That settles the matter. 



I believe that those who are opposed to me as to the question 

 of sterility " slur it over" as beyond their " reasoning powers," 

 though it must be confessed that we " do not understand, except 

 on vague hypothesis, several facts with respect to the sterility of 

 hybrids," and as to myself " no explanation is offered of it." You 

 may consider this as a confession of my own ignorance as being 

 as great as your own about the matter, but what is ignorance in 

 you is wisdom hi me when spread over many pages of high- 

 sounding talk. "Facts are stubborn things," are they ? All I 

 can say is, I have never found them so. 



I believe that on my " principle of Natural Selection," both 

 animals and plants may have been developed" from some " low 

 form" of sea weed ; and u if we admit this," which I shall hence- 

 forth take as proved, we must, of course, " admit" that " all the 

 organised beings have descended from some one primordial form." 

 In other words, my theory being thus conclusive you may have 

 done with a CREATOK. Natural Selection is the creation of my 

 brain, and the only creation that I mean to admit of. This is my 

 Book of Genesis, and no other can be admitted as true. This is 

 a specimen of my reasoning- powers. If in law there is a " Coke 

 upon Littleton," why should there not be in logic a "Darwin upon 

 Wliately ?" Why not ? Echo answers, " Why not ?" 



I believe that "Natural Selection is a power incessantly ready 

 for action, and is as immeasurably superior to man's feeble 

 efforts as the works of Nature are to those of art." In other 

 words, as, according to me, Nature and Natural Selection are all 

 one, it results that .Nature's works are as superior to man's as 



