﻿46 
  PRIMEVAL 
  MAN. 
  

  

  which 
  have 
  preserved 
  in 
  wonderful 
  perfection 
  

   the 
  minutest 
  organisms. 
  So 
  much 
  for 
  the 
  

   Past. 
  

  

  As 
  regards 
  the 
  Present, 
  Organisms 
  are 
  

   known 
  to 
  reproduce 
  life, 
  but 
  always 
  life 
  which 
  

   is 
  like 
  their 
  own. 
  And 
  if 
  this 
  likeness 
  admits 
  

   of 
  degrees 
  of 
  difference, 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  variety- 
  

   is 
  not 
  known 
  to 
  be 
  ever 
  broad 
  enough 
  for 
  

   the 
  foundation 
  of 
  a 
  new 
  species. 
  This, 
  too, 
  

   is 
  remarkable, 
  — 
  that 
  such 
  margin 
  of 
  variety 
  

   as 
  does 
  ever 
  exist 
  among 
  the 
  offspring 
  of 
  the 
  

   same 
  parents 
  becomes 
  smaller 
  and 
  smaller 
  in 
  

   proportion 
  as 
  we 
  rise 
  in 
  the 
  scale 
  of 
  Organic 
  

   Life. 
  That 
  any 
  organism, 
  therefore, 
  can 
  ever 
  

   produce 
  another 
  which 
  varies 
  from 
  itself 
  in 
  

   any 
  truly 
  specific 
  character, 
  is 
  an 
  assumption 
  

   not 
  justified 
  by 
  any 
  known 
  fact. 
  No 
  organism 
  

  

  