Origin of Species Variorum

→ we doubt that the variations or individual differences, which are 1869

we doubt that variations 1859 1860 1861 1866

not variations or individual differences, which are 1872

→ beneficial would 1869

useful to beings, under their excessively complex relations of life, would 1859 1860 1861

useful to them under their extremely complex relations of life would 1866

beneficial, 1872

→ be preserved and accumulated through natural selection, or the survival of the fittest? 1869 1872

be preserved, accumulated, and inherited? 1859 1860 1861

occasionally occur, and then be preserved and accumulated by natural selection? 1866

→ him, why, 1869 1872

himself, should nature fail in selecting variations useful, 1859 1860 1861

himself, should nature fail in preserving or selecting variations useful, 1866

→ and complex conditions 1869 1872

conditions 1859 1860 1861 1866

→ should not variations useful to natures 1869

to her 1859 1860 1861 1866

should not variations useful to nature's 1872

→ products often arise, and be preserved or selected? 1869 1872

products? 1859 1860 1861 1866

→ itself 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

the highest degree 1872

why should →we doubt that the variations or individual differences, which are in

some

any

way →beneficial would →be preserved and accumulated through natural selection, or the survival of the fittest?

Why, if

man can by patience select variations

most

....

useful to →him, why, under changing →and complex conditions of life, →should not variations useful to natures living →products often arise, and be preserved or selected? What limit can be put to this power, acting during long ages and rigidly scrutinising the whole constitution, structure, and habits of each creature,— favouring the good and rejecting the bad? I can see no limit to this power, in slowly and beautifully adapting each form to the most complex relations of life. The theory of natural selection, even if we

look

looked

further

farther

than this, seems to

~~me to~~

me to

be in →itself probable. I have already recapitulated, as fairly as I could, the opposed difficulties and objections: now let us turn to the special facts and arguments in favour of the theory.

On the view that species are only strongly marked and permanent varieties, and that each species first existed as a variety, we can see why it is that no line of demarcation can be drawn between species, commonly supposed to have been produced by special acts of creation, and varieties which are acknowledged to have been produced by secondary laws. On this same view we can understand how it is that in

each

region where many species of a genus have been produced, and where they now flourish, these same species should present many varieties; for where the manufactory of species has been active, we might expect, as a general rule, to find it still in action; and this is the case if varieties be incipient species. Moreover, the species of the larger genera, which afford the

great

greater

number of