Evolution and Wonder: Understanding Charles Darwin

About the Image

This elevation map of a coral reef island is a hand-drawn water-color sketch by Charles Darwin, date unknown.

+ (photo: Cambridge University Library)

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Transmutation Notebook D, Excised Page 134

(Reprinted with permission of Syndics of Cambridge University Library, DAR 208:134e)

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Image transcription ↑

[…] 28th. I do not doubt, every one till he thinks deeply has assumed that increase of animals exactly proportiona[l] to the number that can live.— We ought to be far from wondering of changes in number of species, from small changes in nature of locality. Even the energetic language of ~~Malthus~~ Decandoelle does not convey the warring of the species as inference from Malthus.— increase of brutes, must be prevented soley by positive checks, excepting that famine may stop desire.— in Nature production does not increase, whilst no checks prevail, but the positive check of famine & consequently death.