Origin of Species Variorum

Comparison with 1872

and individuals with slightly different constitutions would succeed best under different climates; and there is reason to believe that constitution and colour are correlated. ↑ But we are far too ignorant to speculate on the relative importance of the several known and unknown causes of variation; and I have made these remarks only to show that, if we are unable to account for the characteristic differences of our several domestic breeds, which nevertheless are generally admitted to have arisen through ordinary generation from one or a few parent-stocks, we ought not to lay too much stress on our ignorance of the precise cause of the slight analogous differences between true species.

Text in this page (from paragraph 4900, sentence 900 to paragraph 4900, sentence 900, word 19) is not present in 1872

and individuals with slightly different constitutions would succeed best under different climates. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. A good observer .. states that in cattle susceptibility to the attacks of flies is correlated with colour, as is the liability to be poisoned by certain plants; so that even colour would be thus subjected to the action of natural selection. But we are far too ignorant to speculate on the relative importance of the several known and unknown laws of variation; and I have here alluded to them only to show that, if we are unable to account for the characteristic differences of our domestic breeds, which nevertheless we generally admit to have arisen through ordinary generation, we ought not to lay too much stress on our ignorance of the precise cause of the slight analogous differences between species. I might have adduced for this same purpose the differences between the races of man, which are so strongly