90 THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES 



sets ot organic beings. But my tables further show that, 

 in any limited country, the species which arc the most 

 common, that is, abound most in individuals, and the 

 species which are most widely diffused within their own 

 country (and this is a different consideration from wide 

 range, and to a certain extent from commonness), oftenest 

 give rise to varieties sufficiently well-marked to have 

 been recorded in botanical works. (Hence it is the most 

 flourishing, or, as they may be called, the dominant spe- 

 cies — those which range widely, are the most difiEused in 

 their own country, and are the most numerous in indi- 

 viduals — which oftenest produce well-marked varieties, or, 

 as I consider them, incipient species. And this, perhaps, 

 might have been anticipated; for as varieties, in order 

 to become in any degree permanent, necessarily have to 

 struggle with the other inhabitants of the country, the 

 species which are already dominant will be the most 

 likely to yield offspring, which, though in some slight 

 degree modified, still inherit those advantages that en- 

 abled their parents to become dominant over their com- 

 patriots. In these remarks on predominance it should 

 be understood that reference is made only to the forms 

 which come into competition with each other, and more 

 especially to the members of the same genus or class 

 having nearly similar habits of life. With respect to the 

 number of individuals or commonness of species, the com- 

 parison of course relates only to the members of the same 

 group. One of the higher plants may be said to be 

 dominant if it be more numerous in individuals and more 

 widely diffused than the other plants of the same country 

 Thich live under nearly the same conditions. A plant of 

 chis kind is not the less dominant because some conferva 





