THE STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE
Its importance—The struggle among plants—Among animals—Illustrative cases—Succession of trees in forests of Denmark—The struggle for existence on the Pampas—Increase of organisms in a geometrical ratio—Examples of rapid increase of animals—Rapid increase and wide spread of plants—Great fertility not essential to rapid increase—Struggle between closely allied species most severe—The ethical aspect of the struggle for existence
THE VARIABILITY OF SPECIES IN A STATE OF NATURE
Importance of variability—Popular ideas regarding it—Variability of the lower animals—The variability of insects—Variation among lizardsVariation among birds—Diagrams of bird-variation—Number of varying individuals—Variation in the mammalia—Variation in internal organs—Variations in the skull—Variations in the habits of animals—The variability of plants—Species which vary little—Concluding remarks
VARIATION OF DOMESTICATED ANIMALS AND CULTIVATED PLANTS
The facts of variation and artificial selection—Proofs of the generality of variation—Variations of apples and melons—Variations of flowers—Variations of domestic animals—Domestic pigeons—Acclimatisation—Circumstances favourable to selection by man—Conditions favourable to variation—Concluding remarks
NATURAL SELECTION BY VARIATION AND SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST