258 WHAT IS A SPECIES? 



So far, therefore, this popular definition helps the practical 

 observer little. It explains, indeed, what a species is in theory, 

 but it does not aid him much in deciding in many cases whether 

 he ought or ought not to separate any little group of organized 

 beings, that he meets with, as a distinct species. He will say, 

 true these do differ from the other most nearly allied similar 

 groups, but is the difference in this case essential ? is it suffi- 

 cient to justify a specific separation ? 



As a matter of fact, naturalists have answered these questions 

 in the most contradictory manner. One has made 1,200 species, 

 for instance, out of the Birds of Europe, whilst another com- 

 presses them into less than half that number. As to a vast 

 number of species, although there may not be absolute unanimity, 

 there is at least a pretty general consensus amongst modern na- 

 turalists as to their validity ; but on the other hand, there are 

 hundreds and thousands of little groups or races, out of which 

 probably no two naturalists in the whole world would reject 

 or accept precisely the same ones as valid species. 



Men holding one set of opinions in regard to the origin of 

 species would accept most of them, those holding different views 

 would equally reject the majority ; but the members of each 

 party would none the less differ inter se, the fact being that 

 the former are not agreed as to what does, the latter as to what 

 should, constitute a species. 



The amount of difference necessary to warrant specific se- 

 paration has always been felt to be so entirely a matter of 

 personal opinion, that it has been sought to import another 

 element, viz., that of locality, into the question. Many men 

 will allow a difference to be specific if observed between two 

 groups found in widely separated localities, which they would 

 ignore if both groups were found in the same province. 



This, however, appears to me equally unphilosophical from 

 whichever point of view it is considered. 



There are of course two ways of looking at a species in the 

 abstract — the one is that each is a distinct creation, the other 

 that each is merely a variation, which has become permanent, 

 from some pre-existing form. Under either supposition, locality 

 cannot effect the question ; no matter where you find it, either 

 it is or is not a variation of sufficient importance to justify 

 its specific separation, or again, it is or is not a distinct 

 creation. 



This dogma, by the way, of each species being a distinct 

 creation, is, if rightly considered, any thing but a practical one. 

 It is perfectly true in one sense, but it in no way removes our 

 difficulties. Every species is a distinct manifestation of creative 

 energy, in other words, according to my views of the power of 

 God, that prevades the universe — but so too is every individual. 



