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
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 9 November 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2581.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 7