RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1858.12.11-1859.01.15]. Draft of Origin of species, Ch. IX, unnumbered folio. NYPL-Berg-Coll-MSS-Darwin[.3]. (Cite as: John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed and edited by John van Wyhe 7.2026. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of William Huxley Darwin. This draft is in the New York Public Library, Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature. Note that this leaf uses "Ch. IX" rather than "Sect. 9" as the text of the draft itself. As this is the chapter summary only, it was drafted later. This manuscript was one of many given by R. B. Litchfield, who married Darwin's daughter, Henrietta Emma Litchfield, as the annotation indicates.
See the introduction to the Origin of species drafts by John van Wyhe
The text of the draft corresponds to Origin, Chapter IX, On the imperfection of the geological record, p. 279.
Ch. IX
On the imperfection of the Geological Record.
On the absence of intermediate varieties at the present day. — On the nature of extinct intermediate varieties; on their number, — On the vast lapse of time, as inferred from the rate of deposition & of denudation — on the poorness of our palæontological collections — Causes of On the intermittence of geological formations — On the absence of intermediate varieties in the same any one formation — on the sudden appearance of whole groups of allied species. On the sudden appearance of similar groups in the lowest known fossiliferous strata. —
[ink annotation in another hand:] The above proof is in the handwriting of Charles Darwin, author of the Descent of Man. It was given to me by his (future) son in law, my friend R.B. Litchfield, 12 July 1871. M.[?]
[annotations in different hands:]
Charles Darwin
Darwin
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 3 August, 2026