OEIGIN OF SPECIES. 



INTRODUCTION. 



When on board H.M.S. ' Beagle,' as naturalist, I was much struck 

 with certain facts in the distribution of the organic beings inhabit- 

 ing South America, and in the geological relations of the present to 

 the past inhabitants of that continent. These facts, as will be seen 

 in the latter chapters of this volume, seemed to throw some light 

 on the origin of species— that mystery of mysteries, as it has been 

 called by one of our greatest philosophers. On my return home, it 

 occurred to me, in 1837, that something might perhaps be made out 

 on this question by patiently accumulating and reflecting on all 

 sorts of facts which could possibly have any bearing on it. After 

 live years' work I allowed myself to speculate on the subject, and 

 drew up some short notes ; these I enlarged in 1844 into a sketch 

 of the conclusions, which then seemed to me probable : from that 

 period to the present day I have steadily pursued the same object. 

 I hope that I may be excused for entering on these personal details, 

 as I give them to show that I have not been hasty in comma- to a 

 decision. 



My work is now (1859) nearly finished; but as it will take me 

 many more years to complete it, and as my health is far from 

 strong, I have been urged to publish this Abstract. I have more 

 especially been induced to do this, as Mr. Wallace, who is now 

 studying the natural history of the Malay archipelago, has arrived 

 at almost exactly the same general conclusions that' I have on the 

 origin of species. In 1858 he sent me a memoir on this subject 

 with a request that I would forward it to Sir Charles Lyell, who 

 sent it to the Linnean Society, and it is published in the 'third 

 volume of the Journal of that Society. Sir 0. Lyell and Dr Hooker 

 who both knew of my work-the latter having read my sketch of 

 1844-honoured me by thinking it advisable to publish, with Mr 

 Wallaces excellent memoir, some brief extracts from my manu- 

 scripts. J 



This Abstract, which I now publish, must necessarily be im- 

 pertect. I cannot here give references and authorities for my 





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