Remember how soon Bakewell on the same principle altered cattle and Western, sheep,--carefully avoiding a cross (pigeons) with any breed. We cannot suppose that one plant tends to vary in fruit and another in flower, and another in flower and foliage,--some have been selected for both fruit and flower: that one animal varies in its covering and another not,--another in its milk. Take any organism and ask what is it useful for and on that point it will be found to vary,--cabbages in their leaf,--corn in size <and> quality of grain, both in times of year,--kidney beans for young pod and cotton for envelope of seeds &c. &c.: dogs in intellect, courage, fleetness and smell <?>: pigeons in peculiarities approaching to monsters. This requires consideration,--should be introduced in first chapter if it holds, I believe it does. It is hypothetical at best{62}. {62} Compare _Origin_, Ed. i. p. 41, vi. p. 47. "I have seen it gravely remarked, that it was most fortunate that the strawberry began to vary just when gardeners began to attend closely to this plant. No doubt the strawberry had always varied since it was cultivated, but the slight varieties had been neglected." Nature's variation far less, but such selection far more rigid and scrutinising. Man's races not [even so well] only not better adapted to conditions than other races, but often not <?> one race adapted to its conditions, as man keeps and propagates some alpine plants in garden. Nature lets <an> animal live, till on actual proof it is found less able to do the required work to serve the desired end, man judges solely by his eye, and knows not whether nerves, muscles, arteries, are developed in proportion to the change of external form. Besides selection by death, in bisexual animals <illegible> the selection in time of fullest vigour, namely struggle of males; even in animals which pair there seems a surplus <?> and a battle, possibly as in man more males produced than females, struggle of war or charms{63}. Hence that male which at that time is in fullest vigour, or best armed with arms or ornaments of its species, will gain in hundreds of generations some small advantage and transmit such characters to its offspring. So in female rearing its young, the most vigorous and skilful and industrious, <whose> instincts <are> best developed, will rear more young, probably possessing her good qualities, and a greater number will thus <be> prepared for the struggle of nature. Compared to man using a male alone of good breed. This latter section only of limited application, applies to variation of [specific] sexual characters. Introduce here contrast with Lamarck,--absurdity of habit, or chance?? or external conditions, making a woodpecker adapted to tree{64}. {63} Here we have the two types of sexual selection discussed in the _Origin_, Ed. i. pp. 88 et seq., vi. pp. 108 et seq.