RECORD: Darwin, C. R. & Emma Darwin. [1870-1871]. Draft of Descent, Ch 1, folio 20. CUL-DAR157.18. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 5.2023. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volume CUL-DAR157 consists of Darwin book draft leaves that were preserved by the family. The text of the draft corresponds to Descent 1: 47-8.
(20
Ch. I
(So many facts have been recorded in various works showing that animals possess some degree of reason, that I will here give only two or three instances, authenticated by Rengger & relating to mo American monkeys. which stand
[slip of paper pasted on, in the hand of Ebenezer Norman with corrections by Darwin, CUL-DAR157.19:]
trap. Rengger He states *that when he first gave eggs to his monkeys eggs, they smashed them, and thus lost much of the contents; afterwards they gently hit one end against some hard body, and picked off the bits of, shell with their finger. After only once cutting themselves only once with any tool, they would not touch it again or would handle it with great care. Lumps of sugar were often given them wrapped up in paper; but & Rengger sometimes put a live wasp in the paper, so that in hastily unfolding it they got stung; in the paper; but after this had once happened they always first held the packet to their ears to detect any movement within. Anyone who is not convinced by such facts as these, and by what everyone may observe with his own dogs, that animals have some reason, would not be convinced by anything that I could state add. Nevertheless I will give
[In the hand of Emma Darwin:] one case with respect to dogs, as it rests on two distinct observers, & can hardly depend on the modification of any instinct. Mr Colquhoun *(10) winged two wild-ducks, which fell on the opposite side of a stream; his retriever tried, but could not
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 22 July, 2023