To Grant Allen [before 21 February 1879]

The transcript of this letter is not yet available online.

Read GA’s book [The colour-sense] with "great interest". Makes criticisms and suggestions.

Cannot believe in GA’s theory of the origin of pleasure and pain.

Is glad he defends sexual selection;

CD finds A. R. Wallace’s explanations "mere empty words" and for many years he has "quite doubted [ARW’s] scientific judgment".

Considers the possible effect of environmental colour on the colour tastes of animals.

Summary

Read GA’s book [The colour-sense] with "great interest". Makes criticisms and suggestions.

Cannot believe in GA’s theory of the origin of pleasure and pain.

Is glad he defends sexual selection;

CD finds A. R. Wallace’s explanations "mere empty words" and for many years he has "quite doubted [ARW’s] scientific judgment".

Considers the possible effect of environmental colour on the colour tastes of animals.

Letter no.: DCP-LETT-11891
From: Charles Robert Darwin
To: Charles Grant Blairfindie (Grant) Allen
Sent from: Down
Source of text: Cleveland Health Sciences Library (Robert M. Stecher collection)

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 11891,” accessed on 6 July 2021, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/DCP-LETT-11891.xml

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