Page:Darwinism by Alfred Wallace 1889.djvu/90

68 organs of a species of earthworm (Perionyx excavatus). The normal characters of this species are—

Between two and three hundred specimens were examined, and among them thirteen specimens exhibited the following marked variations:—

Mr. Beddard remarks that all, or nearly all, the above variations are found normally in other genera and species.

When we consider the enormous number of earthworms and the comparatively very small number of individuals examined, we may be sure, not only that such variations as these occur with considerable frequency, but also that still more extraordinary deviations from the normal structure may often exist.

The next example is taken from Mr. Darwin's unpublished MSS.