The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1868.02.09. Letter to Asa Gray on Variation. PC-USA-GrayVariation. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Scans provided by the owner of the manuscript. Edited by John van Wyhe 9.2020. RN1

NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with the kind permission of a private collection, USA. The same private collection holds:
[c. 1858]. Notes on Huber, Recherches sur les Moeurs des Fourmis Indigènes (1810). Text & image PC-USA-OriginAnts
1858. Draft leaf of Origin. Text & image PC-USA-OriginMS270
1858-59. Draft leaf of Origin. Text & image PC-USA-OriginMS324
1859.11.11. Letter to Adam Sedgwick on sending Origin. Text & image PC-USA-SedgwickOrigin
[1859].12.24. Letter to T. H. Huxley on a manuscript on the evolution of pigeons. Text & image PC-USA-HuxleyPigeons
[1861-62]. Draft of Orchids, folio 192. Text & image Sanders-3.2017Lot96.
1870. Draft leaf of Descent. Text & image PC-USA-DescentMS10
1871. Receipt for Murray's payment for Descent. Text & image PC-USA-DescentReceipt
1871. Draft leaf of Expression. Text & image CUL-DAR185.143
1871. Draft leaf of Expression. Text & image CUL-DAR185.144
1868.02.09. Letter to Asa Gray on Variation. Text & image PC-USA-GrayVariation

This letter was not previously recorded, before it appeared for sale. It is now catalogued by the editors of the Darwin Correspondence as Letter no. 5851F.

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Feb 9th [1868] Downe Bromley Kent.

My dear Gray. Last August you gave me Dr Rothrocks address simply "New York", & to day the letter despatched in September has been returned to me, as "not found". As I do not like that he shd. think me uncourteous & ungrateful, will you address & forward the enclosed, though it is not in itself worth sending. — I despatched about 2 or 3 weeks ago the last sheets, Title &c. of my Book. I have become fairly disgusted with it, but yesterday I heard that whole edit of 1500 copies was sold in a week! & a new Edit is to be printed in a fortnight, so urgent is the demand. Unfortunate people, they clearly do not know what they are eager for. The book has been

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an immense labour to me & I have the greatest doubt whether it is worth one half or one quarter of the labour. Anyhow it will show the public that I did not speak out without having worked at my subject. — Nearly all the chapters were partially & some fully written before I published the Origin.— If you can help me about expression, pray give any likely man a reminder.— My dear Gray

Yours most sincerely,

C. Darwin.

We have been so much pleased at our second son being second Wrangler at our Cambridge, which signifies proper mathematical knowledge & talent.—

Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)