Ifthesneerhereescapesordinaryvisioninthedetachedextracts (oneofthemwantingtheendofthesentence), itis, ifpossible, , thisperusalinclinesustothinkthattheExaminerhasmisapprehendedtheparticularargumentorobject, aswellasthespirit, , andanillustrationofsomeofthemanifolderrorsandabsurditieswhichtheirhastyassumptionisapttoinvolve—considerationsprobablyequivalenttothosewhichinducedLordBacontolikenfinalcausesto "vestalvirgins." So, ifanyone, itishereBaconthat "sittethintheseatofthescornful."AstoDarwin, inthesectionfromwhichtheextractsweremade, heisconsideringasubsidiaryquestion,andtryingtoobviateaparticulardifficulty, but, wesuppose, iswhollyunconsciousofdenying "anymanifestationofdesigninthematerialuniverse." Heconcludesthefirstsentence:
—"andconsequentlythatitwasacharacterofimportance, andmighthavebeenacquiredthroughnaturalselection; asitis, Ihavenodoubtthatthecolorisduetosomequitedistinctcause, probablytosexualselection."
Afteranillustrationfromthevegetablecreation,Darwinadds:
"Thenakedskinontheheadofavultureisgenerallylookedatasadirectadaptationforwallowinginputridity; andsoitmaybe, oritmaypossiblybeduetothedirectactionofputridmatter; butweshouldbeverycautiousindrawinganysuchinference, , andnodoubttheyfacilitateormaybeindispensableforthisact; butassuturesoccurintheskullsofyoungbirdsandreptiles,whichhaveonlytoescapefromabrokenegg, wemayinferthatthisstructurehasarisenfromthelawsofgrowth, andhasbeentakenadvantageofintheparturitionofthehigheranimals."
