Chap. XV.] CONCLUSION. 301 



varieties is, that the latter are known, or helieved, to be 

 connected at the present day by intermediate gradations, 

 whereas species were formerly thus connected. Hence, 

 without rejecting the consideration of the present exist- 

 ence of intermediate gradations between any two forms, 

 we shall be led to weigh more carefully and to value 

 higher the actual amount of difference between them. 

 It is quite possible that forms now generally acknowl- 

 edged to be merely varieties may hereafter be thought 

 worthy of specific names; and in this case scientific and 

 common language will come into accordance. In short, 

 we shall have to treat species in the same manner as 

 those naturalists treat genera, who admit that genera 

 are merely artificial combinations made for convenience. 

 This may not be a cheering prospect; but we shall at 

 least be free from the vain search for the undiscovered 

 and undiscoverable essence of the term species. 



The other and more general departments of natural 

 history will rise greatly in interest. The terms used 

 by naturalists, of afiinity, relationship, community of 

 type, paternity, morphology, adaptive characters, rudi- 

 mentary and aborted organs, &e., will cease to be meta- 

 phorical, and will have a plain signification. When we 

 no longer look at an organic being as a savage looks at 

 a ship, as something wholly beyond his comprehension; 

 when we regard every production of nature as one which 

 has had a long history; when we contemplate every 

 complex structure and instinct as the summing up of 

 many contrivances, each useful to the possessor, in the 

 same way as any great mechanical invention is the sum- 

 ming up of the labour, the experience, the reason, and 

 even the blunders of numerous workmen; when we thus 

 view each organic being, how far more interesting — I 



