Finches Quotes

• On consideration, it is not surprising that Darwin's finches should recognize their own kind primarily by beak characters. The beak is the only prominent specific distinction, and it features conspicuously both in attacking behaviour, when the birds face each other and grip beaks, and also in courtship, when food is passed from the beak of the male to the beak of the female. Hence though the beak differences are primarily correlated with differences in food, secondarily they serve as specific recognition marks, and the birds have evolved behaviour patterns to this end.

  David Lack

  Character, Science, Differences

  David Lack (1947). “Darwin's Finches”, p.54, CUP Archive

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• Contrary to the legend, Darwin's finches do not appear to have inspired his earliest theoretical views on evolution, even after he finally became an evolutionist in 1837; rather it was his evolutionary views that allowed him, retrospectively, to understand the complex case of the finches.

  Frank Sulloway

  Science, Views, Legends

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• The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.

  Harper Lee

  Honesty, Powerful, Integrity

  To Kill a Mockingbird ch. 11 (1960)

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• Though here at journey's end I lie In darkness buried deep, Beyond all towers strong and high, Beyond all mountains steep, Above all shadows rides the Sun And Stars for ever dwell: I will not say the Day is done, Nor bid the Stars farewell.

  J. R. R. Tolkien

  Strong, Stars, Lying

  J.R.R. Tolkien (2012). “The Return of the King: Being the Third Part of the Lord of the Rings”, p.888, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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• When a child asks you something, answer him, for goodness sake. But don't make a production of it. Children are children, but they can spot an evasion faster than adults, and evasion simply muddles 'em.

  Harper Lee

  Children, Tkam, Adults

  "To Kill a Mockingbird". Book by Harper Lee, 1962.

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• Somewhere, I had received the impression that Fine Folks were people who did the best they could with the sense they had, but Aunt Alexandra was of the opinion, obliquely expressed, that the longer a family had been squatting on one patch of land the finer it was.

  Harper Lee

  Aunt, Land, People

  Harper Lee (1960). “TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD”

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• Glory be to God for dappled things.

  Gerard Manley Hopkins

  Trout, Moles, Glory

  "Pied Beauty" l. 1 (written 1877)

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• This time we aren't fighting the Yankees, we're fighting our friends. But remember this, no matter how bitter things get, they're still our friends and this is still our home.

  Harper Lee

  Home, Fighting, Yankees

  Harper Lee (1960). “TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD”

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• Above all shadows rides the sun.

  J. R. R. Tolkien

  Shadow, Sun

  J.R.R. Tolkien (2012). “The Return of the King: Being the Third Part of the Lord of the Rings”, p.888, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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• Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.

  Harper Lee

  Wisdom, Heart, Garden

  FaceBook post by Harper Lee from Apr 21, 2015

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• I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks.

  Harper Lee

  Thinking, Differences, Tkam

  Harold Bloom, Harper Lee (2010). “Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird”, p.44, Infobase Publishing

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• 

  You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.

  Harper Lee

  Powerful, Positivity, Sunshine

  Harold Bloom, Harper Lee (2010). “Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird”, p.81, Infobase Publishing

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• I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.

  Harper Lee

  Courage, Real, Gun

  Harper Lee (1960). “TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD”

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• hold your head high and keep those fists down - Atticus Finch

  Harper Lee

  Powerful, Fists, Jem And Scout

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• ...but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself.

  Harper Lee

  Integrity, Tkam, Killing Others

  Christopher Sergel, Harper Lee (1995). “The Play of To Kill a Mockingbird”, p.20, Heinemann

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• You rarely win, but sometimes you do.

  Harper Lee

  Winning, Tkam, Sometimes

  Harper Lee (1970). “To Kill a Mockingbird”, p.76, Dramatic Publishing

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• Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.

  Harper Lee

  Blue, Tkam, Ems

  To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) ch. 10

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• Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.

  Harper Lee

  Inspirational, Courage, Perseverance

  "To Kill a Mockingbird". Book by Harper Lee, community.sparknotes.com. July 11, 1960.

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• It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.

  Harper Lee

  Dad, War, Father

  Harper Lee (1960). “TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD”

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• Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.

  Harper Lee

  Winning, Years, Tkam

  Harper Lee (1970). “To Kill a Mockingbird”, p.20, Dramatic Publishing

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• There are some men in this world who are born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father's one of them.

  Harper Lee

  Jobs, Father, Men

  Harper Lee (1960). “TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD”

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• You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don't you let 'em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change...

  Harper Lee

  Powerful, Trying, Ems

  "To Kill A Mockingbird". Book by Harper Lee, July 11, 1960.

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• With him, life was routine; without him, life was unbearable.

  Harper Lee

  Tkam, Routine, Unbearable

  Harper Lee (1960). “TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD”

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• When a child asks you something, answer him, for goodness' sake.

  Harper Lee

  Children, Tkam, Sake

  Harper Lee (1960). “TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD”

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• Atticus had said it was the polite thing to talk to people about what they were interested in, not about what you were interested in.

  Harper Lee

  Tkam, People, Jem And Scout

  "To Kill a Mockingbird". Book by Harper Lee, July 11, 1960.

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