by his own direct foresight or by intermediate means,--which will represent <?> the creator of this universe. Seems usual means. Be it remembered I have nothing to say about life and mind and _all_ forms descending from one common type{53}. I speak of the variation of the existing great divisions of the organised kingdom, how far I would go, hereafter to be seen. {50} The author may possibly have taken the case of the woodpecker from Buffon, _Histoire Nat. des Oiseaux_, T. vii. p. 3, 1780, where however it is treated from a different point of view. He uses it more than once, see for instance _Origin_, Ed. i. pp. 3, 60, 184, vi. pp. 3, 76, 220. The passage in the text corresponds with a discussion on the woodpecker and the mistletoe in _Origin_, Ed. i. p. 3, vi. p. 3. {51} This illustration occurs in the _Origin_, Ed. i. pp. 90, 91, vi. pp. 110, 111. {52} See _Origin_, Ed. i. p. 83, vi. p. 102, where the word _Creator_ is replaced by _Nature_. {53} Note in the original. "Good place to introduce, saying reasons hereafter to be given, how far I extend theory, say to all mammalia--reasons growing weaker and weaker." Before considering whether <there> be any natural means of selection, and secondly (which forms the 2nd Part of this sketch) the far more important point whether the characters and relations of animated <things> are such as favour the idea of wild species being races <?> descended from a common stock, as the varieties of potato or dahlia or cattle having so descended, let us consider probable character of [selected races] wild varieties. _Natural Selection._ De Candolle's war of nature,--seeing contented face of nature,--may be well at first doubted; we see it on borders of perpetual cold{54}. But considering the enormous geometrical power of increase in every organism and as <?> every country, in ordinary cases <countries> must be stocked to full extent, reflection will show that this is the case. Malthus on man,--in animals no moral [check] restraint <?>--they breed in time of year when provision most abundant, or season most favourable, every country has its seasons,--calculate robins,--oscillating from years of destruction{55}. If proof were wanted let any singular change of climate <occur> here <?>, how astoundingly some tribes <?> increase, also introduced animals{56}, the pressure is always ready,--capacity of alpine plants to endure other climates,--think of endless seeds scattered abroad,--forests regaining their percentage{57},--a thousand wedges{58} are being forced into the oeconomy of nature. This requires much reflection; study Malthus and calculate rates of increase and remember the resistance,--only periodical. {54} See _Origin_, Ed. i. pp. 62, 63, vi. p. 77, where similar reference is made to De Candolle; for Malthus see _Origin_, p. 5.