It is really laughable to see what different ideas are prominent in various naturalists' minds, when they speak of 'species'; in some, resemblance is everything and descent of little weight-in some, resemblance seems to go for nothing, and Creation the reigning idea-in some, descent is the key,-in some, sterility an unfailing test, with others it is not worth a farthing. It all comes, I believe, from trying to define the undefinable.

I see no good reasons why the views given in this volume should shock the religious views of anyone.

It is mere rubbish thinking, at present, of origin of life; one might as well think of origin of matter.

As for a future life, every man must judge for himself between conflicting vague probabilities.

So great is the economy of nature, that most flowers which are fertilised by crepuscular or nocturnal insects emit their odour chiefly or exclusively in the evening.

I feel like an old warhorse at the sound of a trumpet when I read about the capturing of rare beetles.

When primeval man first used flint stones for any purpose, he would have accidentally splintered them, and would then have used the sharp fragments. From this step it would be a small one to break the flints on purpose and not a very wide step to fashion them rudely.