RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1868-1870]. Draft of Descent, chapt 1, folio 31. FM-Gen-D-Darwin-C-1. Edited by John van Wyhe (The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed and edited by John van Wyhe 8.2025. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge and William Huxley Darwin. Photograph © The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge. The reproduction fee was paid by John van Wyhe.
The text of the draft corresponds to Descent 1: 53-55. There are some interesting differences between Darwin's first draft and later revision, for example replacing the word 'brain' with 'intellectual faculties'. A note kept with the manuscript records that it was given to the Museum by Francis Darwin in 1909 during the Darwin commemorations. A few of Darwin's poorly written words have been written more clearly in an unknown hand. There are over 250 parts of the draft of Descent, including fair copies and later editions transcribed in Darwin Online. (search link) See a podcast on Darwin in Cambridge by John van Wyhe and the Fitzwilliam Museum.
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Chapt I
are quite intelligible understood by us; & they certainly largely understand ours. In Paraguay, the Cebus azaræ when [as add] excited by different emotions ['excited by different emotions' added in another hand] utters at least six distinct sounds, which excite in other monkeys the same similar emotions.* (24)
It is not merely the same power of uttering producing articulate sounds that distinguishes man, for as everyone know parrots learn this power can talk; but it is the connecting certain sounds ['sounds' added in another hand] with certain definite ideas, and this which must obviously must depend on the development of the brain intellectual faculties.)
(As Horne ['Horne' added in another hand] Tooke, one of the earliest founders of the noble science of philology, ['philology' added in another hand] observes, language is an art, like brewing or baking, but writing would have been in many ways a much more appropriate simile. It certainly is not an instinct, as each language has to be learnt. It differs, however, widely from any all ordinary arts, as for man has an instinctive tendency to use ['use' added in another hand] his voice, as we may have may be observed in our children; whilst no child has an instinctive tendency
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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 8 August, 2025