Origin of Species Variorum

→ It may seem fanciful, but I suspect that a 1859 1860 1861 1866

A 1869 1872

→ extends to 1859 1860 1861 1866

apparently extends to 1869

holds good with 1872

→ that 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

which I have elsewhere given, that 1872

→ we plainly see that 1859 1860 1861 1866

OMIT 1869 1872

→ that is between members of different strains or sub-breeds, 1859 1860 1861 1866

which differ to a certain extent, 1869 1872

→ offspring. 1859 1860 1861 1866

offspring; and that close interbreeding continued during several generations between the nearest relations, especially if these be kept under the same conditions of life, almost always induces weakness and sterility. 1869

offspring; 1872

→ I believe, indeed, from the facts alluded to in our fourth chapter, that a certain amount of crossing is indispensable even with hermaphrodites; 1859 1860 1861 1866

OMIT 1872

→ always induces weakness and sterility in the progeny. 1859 1860 1861 1866

almost always leads to decreased size, weakness, or sterility. 1872

→ varied and become 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

been subjected to 1872

→ give 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

conditions, or which have slightly varied, give 1872

→ that greater changes, or changes of a particular nature, often render 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

OMIT 1872

→ in some degree 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

long habituated to certain uniform conditions under a state of nature, when subjected, as under confinement, to a considerable change in their conditions, very frequently are rendered more or less 1872

→ that greater crosses, that is 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

we know that a 1872

→ males and females which 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

two forms, that 1872

→ cannot persuade myself 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

am fully persuaded 1872

→ parallelism is 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

double parallelism is by no means 1872

↑ 3 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869; present in 1872

He who is able to explain why the elephant and a multitude of other animals are incapable of breeding when kept under only partial confinement in their native country, will be able to explain the primary cause of hybrids being so generally sterile. He will at the same time be able to explain how it is that the races of some of our domesticated animals, which have often been subjected to new and not uniform conditions, are quite fertile together, although they are descended from distinct species, which would probably have been sterile if aboriginally crossed. The above two parallel series of facts seem to be connected together by some common but unknown bond, which is essentially related to the principle of life; this principle, according to Mr. Herbert Spencer, being that life depends on, or consists in, the incessant action and reaction of various forces, which, as throughout nature, are always tending towards an equilibrium; and when this tendency is slightly disturbed by any change, the vital forces gain in power.

→It may seem fanciful, but I suspect that a similar parallelism →extends to an allied yet very different class of facts. It is an old and almost universal

belief

belief,

founded

founded,

~~I think,~~

I think,

on a considerable body of evidence, →that slight changes in the conditions of life are beneficial to all living things. We see this acted on by farmers and gardeners in their frequent exchanges of seed, tubers, &c., from one soil or climate to another, and back again. During the convalescence of animals, →we plainly see that great benefit is derived from almost any change in

their

the

habits of life. Again, both with plants and animals, there is

the clearest

abundant

evidence,

evidence

that a cross between

~~very distinct~~

very distinct

individuals of the same species, →that is between members of different strains or sub-breeds, gives vigour and fertility to the →offspring. →I believe, indeed, from the facts alluded to in our fourth chapter, that a certain amount of crossing is indispensable even with hermaphrodites; and that close

interbreeding

inter-breeding

continued during several generations between the nearest relations,

~~especially~~

especially

if these be kept under the same conditions of life, →always induces weakness and sterility in the progeny.

Hence it seems that, on the one hand, slight changes in the conditions of life benefit all organic beings, and on the other hand, that slight crosses, that is crosses between the males and females of the same

species,

species

which have →varied and become slightly

different

different,

→give vigour and fertility to the offspring.

But,

But

as we

have

seen,

seen