Darwin, C. R. Limited Inheritance after reading Wallace / If any tendency to transmit . (4.1871) CUL-DAR88.145 Edited by John van Wyhe (<em>Darwin Online</em>, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 4.1871. Limited Inheritance after reading Wallace / If any tendency to transmit. CUL-DAR88.145. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Kees Rookmaaker, corrected and edited by John van Wyhe, corrections by Gordon Chancellor 11.2011, corrections by Christine Chua 9.2021. RN3

NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with the permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volumes CUL-DAR 87-90 contain material for Darwin's book Descent of man 2d ed. (1874-1877).

145

Mar 23/ 71. Limited Inheritance, after reading Wallace. —

If any tendency to transmit blue tint to ♂s alone, this wd be increased by selection by granting their descendants, who thus transmitted blueness in greater number. — But a similar tendency is requisite for each successive variation in colour. — So under nature the blue colour would be preserved, & the ♀ which inherited blueness wd be killed in greater number than other ♀s & then condition those families in which blueness was transmitted to ♂s alone wd be favoured.

It is possible that in all cases there may be so slight tendency in a variation [arriving] in in one sex to be transmitted to same sex: & if so desired result wd be obtained; but I know of no evidence of this — & some facts opposed, as in case of which (Dr P. Lucas) characters are transmitted to opposite sex. —

145 verso

the tendency to reversion, on the whole offspring of a silver [illeg] which [illeg] might some be eliminated. & that both sexes is the same colour

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