To be honest, life in the Green Zone is very pleasant, except for being watched by the doctor a few times a day, you can sleep until you wake up naturally every day, and there are always plenty of good things to eat. But www.biquge.info be able to leave the Green Zone, or even leave the Port Zone freely, Bell still thinks it's very good.

While waiting in the Green Zone, Bell asked if he could bring his notes so that he could have time to sort them out. At first, the Green Zone staff agreed to his request, but it wasn't long before they arrived with a letter. The letter was written by Zheng Sen, the head of the island of Taiwan, who was the sponsor of Bell's round-the-world expedition. Zheng Sen said in the letter that he was anxious to learn about what Bell had seen during his voyage around the world, so he hoped to see Bell's notes immediately, and wondered if Bell could lend him the notes for a few days first, so that when Bell left the Green Zone, after they met, the discussion between the two sides could be more in-depth.

Bell knew that the boy who ruled the island had a great interest in the natural world. When Zheng Sen provided him with financial support, he also told him about the legends he had heard from other naturalists about all kinds of strange animals and plants, and Zheng Sen seemed very yearning for these legends, and even said: "I really hope that one day I can travel around the world like you, but this is impossible, I can't leave this stall here." I sponsor you to go, in large part, to let you help me see the world. ”

Therefore, Zheng Sen was anxious to see these notes, and Bell felt that this was a very normal thing, and he had no reason to refuse, so he naturally agreed.

Now the time has finally come to end the quarantine in the Green Zone. Bell and his companions said goodbye to the staff of the Green Zone, and as soon as they arrived at the gate of the Green Zone, they saw two luxury four-wheeled carriages sent by Zheng Sen waiting for them.

"Mr. Bell, Mr. Chen. I am Liu De, the adjutant of the major general, and I don't know if the fatigue of the two of you has recovered along the way. If it has been fully recovered. The Major General would love to see you now. A teenager about the same age as Zheng Sen said this politely.

"Ah, Mr. Liu. We've been there for so many days, and we've had a long time to rest. Bell knows that Chinese are different from Westerners, and their surnames are always put before their first names.

"The Major General has booked the best hotel for you and your entourage," said Mr. Liu, "and we can let them get into the car in the back." The car would take them straight to the hotel. What do you think of this arrangement? ”

Bell nodded and said, "That's a good arrangement." ”

A few people got into the carriage and walked along the bluestone road for a while, and they came to a courtyard gate with a high wall. The carriage stopped, and two soldiers in green uniforms came over and opened the door to look at it a few times, then waved their hands, and the carriage drove into the courtyard.

Zheng Sen had already come to greet Bell at the door at this time, and he took Bell into his study, and everyone sat down. Liu De served tea to a few people and withdrew.

"Mr. Bell, I've been taking a closer look at your notes these days, and it's amazing that there are so many unique and strange species in the world." Zheng Sen thought for a moment and said, "Especially the creatures on some isolated islands, the combination of their various traits and their unique environment fascinates me even more. and the similarities and differences between them and their own kind or distant relatives on the mainland. I put these similar records through and remembered that I had read a book on manual selection not long ago.

It is mentioned in this book that each generation of horses, and their parents will be a little different, it may get better or worse, as long as the horse breeder pays attention to this, and then let those horses that have become better get the opportunity to breed, and let those horses that have gone bad have no chance to breed, then the good traits are likely to be retained in the next generation, as long as after several generations of continuous selection, the new, good, and the traits we need can be passed down steadily. In this way, perhaps two horses that seem very different from each other will actually come from the same ancestor. But because of the different directions of selection, such as one that emphasizes explosiveness and speed, one that emphasizes endurance, and one that is intended for small children, which emphasizes shortness and docility, then in the end, after a few generations, there will be three completely different subspecies.

I looked at the difference between the lizards on the island and the similar lizards on the continent in your notes, and it suddenly occurred to me that God had been using the changes of nature to select species. Perhaps many of the world's seemingly very different species, as well as their subspecies, such as chimpanzees and gorillas, cats and tigers, were descended from the same ancestors many years ago, but God selected them through natural variation to make them completely different species today. ”

Bell listened to Zheng Sen's speech while drinking tea. When Zheng Sen talked about the selection of horses, he didn't pay much attention to it. After all, this knowledge is just common sense for Bell. But when Zheng Sen said his conjecture, Bell's eyes suddenly straightened, and the hand holding the teacup trembled, so that the tea spilled.

"You mean......" Bell hurriedly put the teacup aside, "you mean ......"

"Mr. Bell, what is the difference between the unique iguanas you have on this island and the average iguana?" "You know, normal iguanas can swim, but they can't adapt to life in the ocean. Let's assume that one day, due to some kind of accident, such as an earthquake, a landslide, etc., a part of the place that was originally connected to the mainland becomes an island, and some common iguanas are also trapped on the island and isolated from the mainland. As a result, their living environment has changed dramatically. Because of the strong sea breeze, the original forest gradually disappeared, leaving only grass and shrubs. Or it is because of the lack of natural predators to hunt for food, which has led to a sharp increase in the number of iguanas. Mr. Bell, I'm sure you've calculated that if fifty percent of the eggs laid by a female iguana grow into a large iguana, it won't be long before the entire island will be eaten by them. Whatever the reason, it means that the iguanas will face a great famine. In the process, some iguanas have to eat things they didn't eat before, such as seaweed that emerges at low tide along the coast. ”

"But ordinary iguanas can't digest seaweed very well. They will have diarrhea and they will get sick. Bell said.

"Yes, but in a large number of common iguanas, there may be one or two that have less diarrhea, and it is naturally easier for them to survive this famine. After this great famine, they multiplied again, and then soon their numbers skyrocketed again, and the famine came again. And every famine is a selection, so that this unique subspecies of iguana has emerged, with a longer, more powerful tail, a stronger swimmer, a hook-like claw that can hang itself tightly on the reef in the waves, eat seaweed, and can also excrete excess salt through the glands. Zheng Sen explained.

"There seems to be some truth to that." "But we need more evidence." Moreover, this statement is very different from the common theory now, and it is not enough to say it in Asia, but it is better to propagate such a doctrine in Europe......"

Speaking of this, Bell couldn't help but shudder. The fire that burned Giordano Bruno is not yet cold.

"Will there be any problems in propagating such a doctrine in Europe?" Zheng Sen looked puzzled.

This statement is very different from what is recorded in the Bible's book of Genesis. would be considered sacred. The degree of sacredness alone is even greater than that of "The Movement of the Heavenly Bodies". If those guys from the Inquisition were caught, they would have been burned to death. However, this statement is indeed very reasonable and attractive. "Bell was a little scared and a little excited.

"Don't worry, my friend, you are now in Asia, and there is no Inquisition here. No one here can throw a person in prison or even punish him for his opinions. After all, we are a civilized and civilized region. We believe that academic disputes can only be resolved by academic means. So you don't have to worry at all. Zheng Sen smiled and comforted him.

"In this regard, Asia is indeed much stronger than Europe." Bell nodded as well. This is not flattery, but because the era was not 1840, when Europe, after the Industrial Revolution and the great leap in science and culture, saw the whole of Asia as a barbaric region. But in the mid-seventeenth century, Asia, especially China, was compared to the lighthouse countries in the eyes of Europeans and the microblogs of later generations.

"It's just that it's impossible for me not to go back to Europe, after all, my wife and children are all in Europe." Bell said.

"Actually, Bale. I think you can bring them to Asia. Sailing is not so scary these days. Besides, I think you can get a better life and development in Asia, don't you? Zheng Sen took the opportunity to start digging into the wall.

"I still have to think about this." "Plus, there's not enough evidence to support your view." ”

"But, Bell, do you take a serious look at your records? There is a whole lot of evidence in your record alone to support this view. You know, I'm interested in these things, so I've collected some things from other naturalists over the years, as well as some things that my fleet has found. Many of them seem to support this view. I think we can analyze it together, and maybe we can write a book that is comparable to "The Movement of the Heavenly Bodies" and leaves my name in history. ”