RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1877.10.04-05. Oxalis acetosella / Draft of Descent vol. 1, folio 34 & 32. CUL-DAR209.14.67-68. (John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and John van Wyhe, edited by John van Wyhe 7.2023. RN2

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-DAR209.14 contains material for Darwin's book Movement in plants (1880). Draft is in the hand of Ebenezer Norman with corrections by Darwin. The text of the draft corresponds to Descent 1: 277-8.


[67]

1877 Oct. 4' Oxalis acetosella— youngish leaf oblique to light— somewhat hidden amongst other leaves— day high clouds

8° 5'

8°. 33    far down

8 47    so much down that I had to raise pot  in interval no doubt went down

8. 55'    new dot

9° 17    up ! } shaken

9° 35.    very short distance to light

10. 25    down— short distance— Then far down probably due to shaking X ↙

{ 10° 35    new dot high on glass & new leaf

10 54'    not moved

11° 24    risen greatly

11. 55    up & little from light highest point — (The old leaf has now risen much & come into sight & I have made blue dot

12° 11    down 12° 11    2d new dot down

12° 25    do      12° 25    do & from light

12 53'    up      12. 53    — to light

1.° 40'    down             1. 40'    tremendously down

2°    up 2°    up

2° 36    up & a little to light   2° 36    down

2° 55    a very little up.          

   up

3° 32.    down  3°. 33    to light

4° 47    4° 57'

5° 30    5° 30'

            53 [-] 25 [=] 28

55 [-] 46 [=] 9

7°    perfectly asleep with Bristle perpendicularly down       11° 55. to 12. 25' down = 30'

            12. 25 to 12. 53    up    28' shorter distinct

            12. 53 to 1. 46    down    53'

            1 46 to 2. 55— up    69'

5th 6° 45'    low down belong to upper figure            2. 55 to 3. 22 down    27'

7° 5'    vertically up    30 [+] 53 [+] 27 [=] 110 [÷] 3 [=] 37' aver

7° 30    still up 28 [+] 69 [=] 97 [÷] 2 [+] 48 average

7° 45    same spot       

9° 52° Oct 5'

(Used)

[67v]

36 34

Chap. 8

to inherit their superiority. In regard to structures acquired through ordinary or natural selection, and adapted for special ends, there is in most cases, as long as the conditions of life remain the same, a limit to the amount of advantageous modification in relation to some special end; but in regard to structures stat/adapted to make one male victorious over another either in fighting or in charming the female, there is hardly any limit to the amount of advantageous modification; so that as long as fitting variations arise the work of sexual selection will go on. This circumstance may partly account for the frequent and extraordinary amount of variability of presented by secondary sexual characters. Nevertheless, natural selection will determine that no secondary characters shall be acquired by the victorious males, which is injurious to them in any high degree, by expending too much of their vital powers, or exposing them to any great danger.

The development, however, of certain structures—of the horns, for instance, in certain stags,—has been carried to a wonderful extreme; and in some instances, as we shall afterwards hereafter see, to a degree which must be slightly injurious to the male, as far as the his general conditions of life are concerned. From this fact we learn that the advantages which the favoured males have derived from conquering

[68]

Oct 5th Oxalis acetosella Same leaf in same position

7° 52' —    Bright morning

8° 12'    down

8. 23    from light & a little down.

8 40'    down

9° 4    up

9. 17    up & crossed blue line from light

9' 35    crossed first line again & back to light

10° 2'    risen a good deal

10 29'    down up

10 55    high up

11° 29'    down much

11° 45'    down

12° 6    still down

12 32'    much up

12. 52—    rising

1° 24—    short way to light— (problem condensed)

1. 53'    a little down on an old thin line

2.° 15    to light & a little down

2° 42'    straight down

3° 2'    rose an atom & little from light

3° 30'    straight up.

4° 3'    to light & rising a little.

4. 35'    a little way up

5°. 2'    down some little way

5 15—    a little down— I have not connected this dot with last

5. 36—    dot in square not connected— leaf apparently not asleep.

7°    asleep. with bristle vertically down—

Oct 6 ⨀ 6° 57'    — say 7°

7° 50'

(Used)

[68v]

34 32

Chap. 8

attractive females. But this view is not probable from what we know of the eagerness of habit of most animals, for generally the male in general, this view does not seem probable most cases is, eager to pair with any female. It is a more probable view when both sexes are equally possess the same ornaments= al that these ornaments were have been acquired through sexual selection by one sex alone, generally the male sex, but were but, and have then been not only equally transmitted to both sexes. through both sexes, as is always the case, but equally developed in both. If, indeed, during a lengthened period the males of any species had were greatly to exceeded the female in number and then during another lengthened period the reserve had were to occurred, a double but not simultaneous process of sexual selection might easily have been carried on, but not during the same period by which both sexes could ultimately be modified.)

We shall hereafter see that there are many animals with the sexes resembling each other alike which probably have been modified through sexual selection, although they are not brilliantly cl coloured, not provided with any special ornaments. Their absence of bright tints or other ornaments may have be the resulted from of variations of the right kind not never having arisen, or from of the animals themselves having preferred, improbable as it this will at first appear, simple colours, such as plain


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

File last updated 21 December, 2025