Tropical Nature, and Other EssaysSometimes referred to as 'the grand old man of science', Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) was a naturalist, evolutionary theorist, and friend of Charles Darwin. In this study of tropical flora and fauna, he takes the reader on a tour of the equatorial forest belt - the almost continuous band of forest that stretches around the world between the tropics. There, chameleon-like caterpillars alter the colours of their cocoons, parasitical trees override their hosts with spectacular aerial root systems, and some of the most pressing questions of Victorian evolutionary science arise: how do animals and plants come to be brightly coloured? Can their adaptations provide clues about past geological eras? And was Darwin wholly correct in his theory of sexual selection? First published in 1878, Wallace's book is a skilfully written reflection of contemporary naturalism, still highly readable and relevant to students in the history of science. |
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Page viii
So many of the most remarkable forms of life are now restricted to the tropics ,
and the relations of these to extinct types which once inhabited the temperate
zones open up so many interesting questions as to the past history of the earth ,
that ...
So many of the most remarkable forms of life are now restricted to the tropics ,
and the relations of these to extinct types which once inhabited the temperate
zones open up so many interesting questions as to the past history of the earth ,
that ...
Page 33
Spined or prickly trunks ( except of palms ) are rare in the damp equatorial forests
. Turning our gaze upwards from the stems to the foliage , we find two types of
leaf not common in the temperate zone , although the great mass of the trees ...
Spined or prickly trunks ( except of palms ) are rare in the damp equatorial forests
. Turning our gaze upwards from the stems to the foliage , we find two types of
leaf not common in the temperate zone , although the great mass of the trees ...
Page 69
On the other hand , so many of the more important and characteristic types of
animal life are restricted to one only out of the three great divisions of equatorial
land , that they can hardly be claimed as characteristically tropical ; while the
more ...
On the other hand , so many of the more important and characteristic types of
animal life are restricted to one only out of the three great divisions of equatorial
land , that they can hardly be claimed as characteristically tropical ; while the
more ...
Page 79
... selected as the types of airiness and frivolity — instead of being despised , will
some day be valued as one of the most important branches of biological science .
” 1 Next after the butterflies in importance , as giving an air of life and interest to ...
... selected as the types of airiness and frivolity — instead of being despised , will
some day be valued as one of the most important branches of biological science .
” 1 Next after the butterflies in importance , as giving an air of life and interest to ...
Page 104
... and crows may be taken as the types . The order Picariæ comprises twenty -
five families , some of which are very extensive . All are either wholly or mainly
tropical , only two of the families — the woodpeckers and the kingfishers —
having a ...
... and crows may be taken as the types . The order Picariæ comprises twenty -
five families , some of which are very extensive . All are either wholly or mainly
tropical , only two of the families — the woodpeckers and the kingfishers —
having a ...
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abundant adapted Africa allied America animals ants appear attract beautiful become believe birds blue butterflies causes changes character characteristic climate closely colour comparatively completely consider considerable conspicuous continent curious Darwin direct distinct distribution effect equally equatorial evidence existence extensive extreme fact families feet female fertilization flowers foliage forests fruits genera give greater green ground groups habits heat humming-birds important increase inhabit insects islands kinds known land larger leaves less light living male marked mass means nature North objects observed occur organic ornaments peculiar perhaps period plants possess present probably produced proportion protection rarely rays region relation remains remarkable resemble seems seen selection sometimes South species structure surface temperate temperature theory tints trees tropical types usually variation varied variety various vegetation whole wings yellow zone
Bibliographic information
| Title | Tropical Nature, and Other Essays Marilee E. Thomas and Robert C. Thomas Science and Related Subjects Collection |
| Author | Alfred Russel Wallace |
| Publisher | Macmillan and Company, 1878 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | 23 veeb. 2009 |
| Length | 356 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |