94 Luck, or Cunning ? 
must suppose that there is a power always intently watch- 
ing each slight accidental variation.’”’ I suppose it was felt 
that if this was allowed to stand, it might be fairly asked 
what natural selection was doing all this time? If the 
power was able to do everything that was necessary now, 
why not always? and why any natural selection at all ? 
This clearly would not do, so in 1861 the power was allowed, 
by the help of brackets, actually to become natural selec- 
tion, and remained so till 1869, when Mr. Darwin could 
stand it no longer, and, doubtless for the reason given above, 
altered the passage to “a power represented by natural 
selection,’ at the same time cutting out the word “‘ acci- 
dental.” 
It may perhaps make the workings of Mr. Darwin’s 
mind clearer to the reader if I give the various readings of 
this passage as taken from the three most important 
editions of the ‘‘ Origin of Species.” 
In 1859 it stood, ‘‘ Further, we must suppose that there 
is a power always intently watching each slight accidental 
alteration,” &c. 
In 1861 it stood, ‘‘ Further, we must suppose that there 
is a power (natural selection) always intently watching 
each slight accidental alteration,” &c. 
And in 1869, “‘ Further, we must suppose that there is a 
power represented by natural selection or the survival of 
the fittest always intently watching each slight altera- 
tion,” &c.* 
The hesitating feeble gait of one who fears a pitfall at 
every step, so easily recognisable in the ‘‘ numerous, 
successive, slight alterations’ in the foregoing passage, 
may be traced in many another page of the ‘‘ Origin of 
Species ’’ by those who will be at the trouble of comparing 
the several editions. It is only when this is done, and the 
working of Mr. Darwin’s mind can be seen as though it were 
the twitchings of a dog’s nose, that any idea can be formed 
* Page 226. 
