y ▁set ▁out ▁a ▁variation ▁on ▁this ▁argument ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 2 , ▁to ▁ref ute ▁( in ▁later ▁pages ) ▁a ▁claim ▁that ▁there ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁initial ▁cre ations , ▁with ▁less ▁vi able ▁forms ▁elimin ated ▁by ▁nature ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁modern ▁range ▁of ▁species : ▁" The ▁hypothesis ▁teach es , ▁that ▁every ▁possible ▁variety ▁of ▁being ▁hath , ▁at ▁one ▁time ▁or ▁other , ▁found ▁its ▁way ▁into ▁existence ▁( by ▁what ▁cause ▁or ▁in ▁what ▁manner ▁is ▁not ▁said ), ▁and ▁that ▁those ▁which ▁were ▁badly ▁formed , ▁per ished ; ▁but ▁how ▁or ▁why ▁those ▁which ▁surv ived ▁should ▁be ▁cast , ▁as ▁we ▁see ▁that ▁plants ▁and ▁animals ▁are ▁cast , ▁into ▁regular ▁classes , ▁the ▁hypothesis ▁does ▁not ▁explain ; ▁or ▁rather ▁the ▁hypothesis ▁is ▁incons istent ▁with ▁this ▁ph æ n omen on ." ▁ ▁The ▁way ▁B ly th ▁himself ▁argued ▁about ▁the ▁modification ▁of ▁species ▁can ▁be ▁illustrated ▁by ▁an ▁extract ▁concerning ▁the ▁adapt ations ▁of ▁car n iv orous ▁m amm als : ▁" However ▁reci pro cal ... may ▁appear ▁the ▁relations ▁of ▁the ▁pre yer ▁and ▁the ▁pre y , ▁a ▁little ▁reflection ▁on ▁the ▁observed ▁facts ▁suff ices ▁to ▁int imate ▁that ▁the ▁relative ▁adapt ations ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁only ▁are ▁special , ▁those ▁of ▁latter ▁being ▁compar atively ▁vague ▁and ▁general ; ▁indicating ▁that ▁there ▁having ▁been ▁a ▁super ab und ance ▁which ▁might ▁serve ▁as ▁nut r iment , ▁in