From George Harris 10 February 1874
Iselipps Manor, | Northolt, | Southall. | W.
10th. February 1874.
Dear Sir,
You were so obliging as to say some time ago, on my writing to you on the subject, that you would afford me your valuable aid by allowing me to refer to you on certain points of interest & importance on which you cannot but be regarded as the first authority of the day, & upon which I have ventured to touch in a work on the general subject of man upon which I have been for a long time engaged, & in which I have taken the liberty of making several quotations from, & references to, your own very able & masterly performances.1
I am more especially desirous of submitting to you what I have ventured to advance in the accompanying sheets which I send you herewith by book post, on the subjects of
| The Theory of Instinct | —pp. 181, 182. | |
| Instinctive animal being | —183–185. | |
| Nature of Instinctive Intelligence | —185. | |
| Instinctive Impulses from Sensation | –192, 193–194. | |
| Equality in capacity among animals | —195. | |
| Language of animals— | —193, 194, 199. | |
| Absence of curiosity in animals | —196. | |
| Spiritual being the necessary | } | ——197–202. |
| vehicle of Instinct | ||
| Animals have no notion of Death | —206.2 |
Any suggestions, corrections, or notes that you may be pleased to make, will be highly prized.
The opinion as to the future existence of animals, which has been told by several men of high authority, from some of whose writings I have quoted, appears to me, if adopted, to afford considerable support to your grand theory, as removing a great barrier between the constitution & nature of man & those of animals.3
But the suggestion of course I merely offer with the greatest submission.
With respect to what I have wanted to throw out respecting Animals having no fear of Death, this notion I was led to adopt after much & patient observation. For this purpose I have several times attended Abattoirs on the Continent, & watched closely the actions of cattle of different kinds.4
When the work is completed, I shall venture to ask you to do me the honor of accepting a copy of it.
I have been extremely delighted with your work on Expression in Man & Animals, which you were so obliging as to send me.5 Every artist as well as every naturalist, should study it attentively.
Believe me, Dear Sir, | Your very faithful & obliged servt. | George Harris
C. Darwin Esq. FRS. | &c. &c. &c.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Expression: The expression of the emotions in man and animals. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1872.
Harris, George. 1876. A philosophical treatise on the nature and constitution of man. 2 vols. London: George Bell & Sons. Cambridge: Deighton, Bell, & Co.
Summary
Sends about 15 sheets on instinct from his book [A philosophical treatise on the nature and constitution of man (1876)] for CD’s comments.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-9280
- From
- George Harris
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Southall
- Source of text
- DAR 166: 106
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 9280,” accessed on 23 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-9280.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 22
