When on board H.M.S. 'Beagle,' as naturalist, I was much struck with certain facts in the distribution of the inhabitants of South America, and in the geological relations of the present to the past inhabitants of that continent. These facts seemed to me to throw some light on the origin of species - that mystery of mysteries, as it has been called by one of our greatest philosophers. On my return home, it occurred to me, in 1837, that something might perhaps be made out on this question by patiently accumulating and reflecting on all sorts of facts which could possibly have any bearing on it.
To be completely honest, I wanted the notch on my belt for this one. Which didn’t hinder it from being interesting to read. No wonder Darwin set the world on edge in the most damning way possible, quietly and thoughtfully with these soft-spoken facts.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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10 November, 2012:
Finished reading
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10 November, 2012:
Reviewed