WCP627

[1]

Dear Sir,

It is not easy to make the ordinary reader understand such a question as to variation as you put to me. It can be perhaps best explained by a reference to very familiar cases with which every lady[?] is acquainted. Every one who will think over the subject of variation among the men & women he sees around him will be surprised at the wonderful differences not only in the larger characteristics such as height, weight, and complexion but also on every single part that can be easily observed such as the length or shape of the head, ear, nose, mouth & eyes, the length of the arms, legs, fingers, & especially the proportions of all or any of these parts to the others; he will find all them having[?] in a most [1 word illeg.] degree to very often each one seems to be mostly independent of all the others.

[2] The results is that if you could examine a large number of any one race or variety[?] of man and if the question were as to the modification by selection of any one of these numerous characters, the whole population of that race consisting[?] of perhaps a hundred many million[?] of individuals could be divided into two portions and consisting of those in which the particular character was above or below the average; and although those which [1 word illeg.] not differ noticeably from the average are the [1 word illeg.] numerous. Yet those which are very continuously[?] above or below very certainly be reckoned at one [1 word illeg.] of the while so that nature has to select for her purpose from the enormous number of favourable[sic] or unfavourable[sic] individuals. As it is certain that not of the whole population almost all living [1 word illeg.] of the individual which are born every year of I[?] am[?] the layer portion die without leaving [1 word illeg.]—i.e. in infancy is (his) early youth—it necessarily follows that those which are in some way [3] inferior or imperfect will on the average be those from which the most generation is not produced. Those that survive & to leave off [1 word illeg.] will therefore [1 word illeg.] a the whole better [1 word illeg.] to their environment, and as almost every conceivable character does vary in this way thus an [1 word illeg.] amount of material to carry on a continuous improvement as regards any [1 word crossed out and illeg.] beneficial change. so as It is therefore absolutely[?] inconceivable, that [1 word illeg.] his lack of variation to be as they have been proud to be, that this should be the slight[?] obstacle in the way of continuous improvement none of that has any of life which [1 word crossed out and illeg.] objection assume[?] that the course of evolution could ever have [1 word illeg.] a few pairs out a fear the chance some if any[?].

The very large number (of observations) of variation what has neow made demonstrate that is respect of variation there is no essential difference between man & all the animals, which it is only certain that the enormous majority of animals multiply [4] much more rapidly than any[?] man.

Nature has everywhere & in all parts of the world an enormous overwhelming number of favourable variations to select from and it is this immune [1 word illeg.] & material, and not the change[?] variation if a few individuals which gives to her operation such a much greater certainty man universally & power of minute judgment[?] than those of men.

When we consider that in the care of a single species, the wise took pigeon, human selection has profound such wonderful nights.

It is therefore absolutely certain that the ancestors from which had to the evolution; of man did sound[?] an amount of variation the an to reader give it in each can the superiority which natural selection requires is necessary to the successful operation of natural selection & the same they may be and in the care of all their [2 words crossed out and illeg.] (and it is the vast scale or which value work that is always) forgotten by objection. [end of manuscript]