[Enclosure] 
I. It is wonderful what the principle of Selection by Man, that is the picking out of individuals with any 
desired quality, and breeding from them, and again picking out, can do. Even Breeders have been 
astonished at their own results. They can act on differences inappreciable to an uneducated eye. 
Selection has been methodically followed in Europe for only the last half century. But it has occasionally, 
and even in some degree methodically, been followed in the most ancient times. There must have been, 
also, a kind of unconscious selection from the most ancient times,— namely in the preservation of the 
individual animals (without any thought of their offspring) most useful to each race of man in his 
particular circumstances. The "rogueing" as nurserymen call the destroying of varieties, which depart 
from their type, is a kind of selection. I am convinced that intentional and occasional selection has been 
the main agent in making our domestic races. But, however, this may be, its great power of modification 
has been indisputably shown in late times. Selection acts only by the accumulation of very slight or 
greater variations, caused by external conditions, or by the mere fact that in generation the child is not 
absolutely similar to its parent. Man by this power of accumulating variations adapts living beings to his 
wants,— he may be said to make the wool of one sheep good for carpets and another for cloth &c.— 
II. Now suppose there was a being, who did not judge by mere external appearance, but could study the 
whole internal organization— who never was capricious,— who should go on selecting for one end 
during millions of generations, who will say what he might not effect! In nature we have some slight 
variations, occasionally in all parts: and I think it can be shown that a change in the conditions of 
existence is the main cause of the child not exactly resembling its parents; and in nature geology shows 
us what changes have taken place, and are taking place. We have almost unlimited time: no one but a 
practical geologist can fully appreciate this: think of the Glacial period, during the whole of which the 
same species of shells at least have existed; there must have been during this period millions on millions 
of generations. 
III. I think it can be shown that there is such an unerring power at work, or Natural Selection (the title of 
my Book), which selects exclusively for the good of each organic being. The elder De Candolle, W. 
Herbert, and Lyell have written strongly on the struggle for life; but even they have not written strongly 
enough. Reflect that every being (even the Elephant) breeds at such a rate, that in a few years, or at 
most a few centuries or thousands of years, the surface of the earth would not hold the progeny of any 
one species. I have found it hard constantly to bear in mind that the increase of every single species is 
checked during some part of its life, or during some shortly recurrent generation. Only a few of those 
annually born can live to propagate their kind. What a trifling difference must often determine which 
shall survive and which perish— 
IV. Now take the case of a country undergoing some change; this will tend to cause some of its 
inhabitants to vary slightly; not but what I believe most beings vary at all times enough for selection to 
act on. Some of its inhabitants will be exterminated, and the remainder will be exposed to the mutual 
action of a different set of inhabitants, which I believe to be more important to the life of each being 
than mere climate. Considering the infinitely various ways, beings have to obtain food by struggling with 
other beings, to escape danger at various times of life, to have their eggs or seeds disseminated &c. &c, I 
cannot doubt that during millions of generations individuals of a species will be born with some slight 
variation profitable to some part of its economy; such will have a better chance of surviving. 
