ILLUSTRATIVE OF NATURAL SELECTION. 197 
side, and the various islands of the Moluccas on the 
other, were equally well explored by me; and no less 
than twelve of the genera are not found in any other 
island of the archipelago. I have shown in the present 
essay that, in the Papilionide, it has far more species of 
its own than any other island, and a greater proportion 
of peculiar species than many of the large groups of 
islands in the archipelago—and that it gives to a large 
number of the species and varieties which inhabit it, 
Ist, an increase of size, and, 2nd, a peculiar modifica- 
tion in the form of the wings, which stamp upon the 
most dissimilar insects a mark distinctive of their 
common birth-place. 
What, I would ask, are we to do with phenomena 
such as these? Are we to rest content with that very 
simple, but at the same time very unsatisfying expla- 
nation, that all these insects and other animals were 
-ereated exactly as they are, and originally placed ex- 
actly where they are, by the inscrutable will of their 
Creator, and that we have nothing to do but to register 
the facts and wonder? Was this single island selected 
for a fantastic display of creative power, merely to ex- 
cite a childlike and unreasoning admiration? Is all 
this appearance of gradual modification by the action of 
natural causes—a modification the successive steps of 
which we can almost trace—all delusive? Is this har- 
mony between the most diverse groups, all presenting 
analogous phenomena, and indicating a dependence 
upon physical changes of which we have independent . 
evidence, all false testimony ? If I could think so, the 
