There is no fundamental difference between man and the higher mammals in their mental faculties...The difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is, certainly is one of degree and not of kind.

The fact of evolution is the backbone of biology, and biology is thus in the peculiar position of being a science founded on an improved theory, is it then a science or faith?

If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.

Delight itself, however, is a weak term to express the feelings of a naturalist.

Thus we have given to man a pedigree of prodigious length, but not, it may be said, of noble quality.

We may confidently come to the conclusion, that the forces which slowly and by little starts uplift continents, and that those which at successive periods pour forth volcanic matter from open orifices, are identical.

Natural selection acts solely by accumulating slight successive favorable variations, it can produce no great or sudden modification; it can act only by very short steps.