“...for the shield may be as important for victory, as the sword or spear.”

“more commonly but not exclusively to the like sex. It is a fact of some importance to us, that peculiarities appearing in the males of our domestic breeds are often transmitted, either exclusively or in a much greater degree, to the males alone. A much more important rule, which I think may be trusted, is that, at whatever period of life a peculiarity”

“I have stated, that in the thirteen species of ground-finches, a nearly perfect gradation may be traced, from a beak extraordinarily thick, to one so fine, that it may be compared to that of a warbler.”

“One may say there is a force like a hundred thousand wedges...”

“I have always maintained that, excepting fools, men did not differ much in intellect, only in zeal and hard work; and I still think there is an eminently important difference.”

“It is necessary to look forward to a harvest, however distant that may be, when some fruit will be reaped, some good effected.”

“Often a cold shudder has run through me, and I have asked myself whether I may have not devoted myself to a fantasy.”