From Lamarck¹ to Charles Darwin, it has been demonstrated that if the conditions in which a family of animals of the various species that inhabit the earth are favorable to their development and given the fact of the predominance of the strongest, the race will be improved gradually but noticeably until it reaches a certain level of relative perfection.

Here, what has happened among us is that we find our race in very favorable conditions and improving in a dazzling way as is clearly manifest by the constant appearance of individuals so noteworthy that they are fit to constitute types; as shown in the course of these scientific studies.

The immortal genius, the author of the story of Don Quixote de la Mancha, only tells us about the delusional knight's errant affairs but he tells us nothing about whether they were real. It therefore appears that there is reason to suppose that that notable individual died without leaving offspring. But at the same time the careful naturalist observer - for whom it is not necessary to find the entire skeleton of the animal to classify it - finds in our region individuals who compared with that trans-andean character, are so similar that he is obligated to deduce that they are his legitimate descendants and as to the means of transport through the two seas that separate us from our loving ex-mother Spain it is easy to suppose that at least the male came with the Conquistadores and that the crossing was effected and the result was so admirable.

We have demonstrated, therefore, that Don Quijote de la Mancha left a line of descendants, which today is large and that by appropriate selection continues to improve among us in a way so remarkable that it is necessary to record it in these records to the honor and benefit of the enlightened nation of Ecuador.

I understand well the difficulties of so colossal an enterprise; but like any hypocritical author wanting to capture the goodwill of the public, I will conclude acknowledging my failures and flattering my listeners with those masterful words: I trust in the indulgence of my readers