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Darwin Correspondence Project

To Francis Galton   13 December [1859]

Down Bromley Kent

Dec. 13th

My dear Galton

Your letter addressed to Ilkley reached me only this morning.1 I must thank you sincerely for the pleasure which you have given me. Oddly enough your words are nearly the same as those used my Brother: I have received some very highly coloured compliments on my book, but none which have given me more pleasure than what you & my Brother have said.—2

Your correction about the Rhinoceros is an important one (but too late for the Reprint) & shall be attended to: I rashly assumed (having made enquiries about the Elephant in India) that the Rhinoceros would be quite safe.—

Thank you for the other notes: till I compare all my notes, I feel very doubtful about the share males & females play in sexual selection; I suspect that the male will pair with any female, & that the females select the victorious or most beautiful cock, or him with beauty & courage combined.—3

Several persons have been baulked about the ants: they do not notice that the Latin names change; but I have tried to make it clearer.—4

Again let me thank you sincerely for your very kind note & with our kind remembrances to Mrs.

Galton,5 pray believe me | Yours very sincerely | Charles Darwin

Footnotes

Sexual selection was discussed in Origin, pp. 87–90. Galton’s notes were presumably in the section of the letter from Francis Galton, 9 December 1859, that is now missing.

Bibliography

Origin: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1859.

Summary

Thanks FG for comments [on Origin].

Acknowledges error involving rhinoceros.

Thinks female fowls select victorious or most beautiful cock.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-2581
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
Francis Galton
Sent from
Down
Source of text
UCL Library Services, Special Collections (GALTON/1/1/9/5/7/5)
Physical description
ALS 4pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2581,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2581.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 7

letter