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It may be that, in some departments of nature, variation from the class or order has gone down into fewer shades than in others; or it may be, that many of the variations have not survived till our era, or have not been as yet detected by naturalists; in either of which cases there may be a necessity for shortening the series by the omission of one or two grades, as for instance TRIBE or SUB-FAMILY. This, however, is much to be regretted, as it introduces an irregularity into the natural system, and consequently throws a difficulty and doubt in the way of our investigating it.

But in the absence of this inheritance of functionally-produced modifications, there is no seeing how the required re-adjustments can be made. Yet a third class of difficulties stands in the way of the belief that the natural selection of useful variations is the sole factor of organic evolution.

Beginning with the earliest and most minute kinds of living things, we necessarily encounter difficulties in getting direct evidence; since, of the countless species now existing, all have been subject during millions upon millions of years to the evolutionary process, and have had their primary traits complicated and obscured by those endless secondary traits which the natural selection of favourable variations has produced.

"Families of animals and plants," writes one of the greatest anatomists of the day, Johannes Müller, in his noble and comprehensive work, "Physiologie des Menschen," "undergo, within certain limitations peculiar to the different races and species, various modifications in their distribution over the surface of the earth, propagating these variations as organic types of species.

The consequence was that a wooden cross was always kept ready to repair the original cross. This story has many variations and is differently localized." "Are there not many proverbs with regard to the weather, or the like, in Denmark?" asked Hardy. "There are, but they are identical with the English," replied the Pastor.

The rich and luxuriant carpets of the many varieties of box, thuya, taxus, and dwarf pine, in dark, somber greens and many lighter color variations, are superb. In the Court of Abundance great masses of orange trees furnish the dominant note. They are most effective with their branches heavily laden with fruit.

On one sublime theme after another he executed variations, putting into them sometimes Chopin's sorrow, Chopin's Raphael-like perfection; sometimes the stormy Dante's grandeur of Liszt the two musicians who most nearly approach Paganini's temperament.

For variations in structure which are related to these functions, have often proved of value to one sex, and from having arisen at a late period of life, have been transmitted to one sex alone; and such variations, thus preserved and transmitted, have given rise to secondary sexual characters.

We must conclude that species arise, probably, both by mutations and small variations, and that it is impossible to say which class of species has been the more numerous. There remain one or two conceptions of evolution which we have not hitherto noticed, as it was advisable to see the facts first.

Haven't you some variations of this tongue-twisting appellative to serve for every day, and save trouble?" "They call me Fleda," said the little girl, who could not help laughing. "Nothing better than that?"