14 DARWIN'S THEORY. 



their wing-feathers, and in their tail-feathers. In plants, 

 by the process of bud-variation, have been known to 

 arise, in one generation alone, nectarines from the 

 peach, the red magnum-bonum plum from the yellow 

 magnum-bonum ; and the moss rose from the Provence 

 rose. An astonishingly great improvement has taken 

 place in the wild carrot, and the parsnip, which, from 

 mere stringy roots that they were, when taken from 

 nature, have developed into great size and delicacy. 

 Gooseberries also have attained great size and weight : 

 The London Gooseberry being seven and eight times 

 the weight of the wild fruit. The fruit of one variety 

 of the Curcurbita pepo, exceeds, in volume, that of an- 

 other of the same species, which is less cultivated, by 

 more than 2000 fold ! 



Whatever part of the plant, man values most, that 

 part has been sure to increase surprisingly, in size, in 

 general development, and in quality. If it be the 

 flower, to which man attaches value, the most astonish- 

 ing improvement, in that character, is seen ; while the 

 other parts show little, or no improvement. The same 

 occurs, where it is the fruit, the leaves, or the root, 

 which man prizes. 



Varieties of the fowl, of the turkey, of the canary- 

 bird, of the duck, and of the goose, have developed 

 top-knots, and reversed head feathers, since they have 

 been taken care of by man. It would be but writing, 

 anew, Darwin's book on "Animals and Plants under 

 Domestication]' to record all of the great, and wonder- 

 ful improvements which have arisen, within a short 

 time, under domestication. 



