The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1859].12.24. Letter to T. H. Huxley on a manuscript on the evolution of pigeons. PC-USA-HuxleyPigeons. 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 and William Huxley Darwin. 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

Text published and edited in Correspondence vol. 7, p. 447: "On February 10, 1860, Huxley described the history of the various breeds of domesticated pigeons and used them to illustrate the power of selection in producing new and diverging breeds". This letter was sent in preparation for Huxley's Royal Institution lecture and is one of a series of lectures between the two men starting with starting with https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/DCP-LETT-2554.xml.

[1]

Down Bromley Kent

Dec. 24th [1859]

Mr dear Huxley

I have been sorry that I would not come up this week, but it has been quite out of the question.

I send all the articles specified & the M.S.; but I looked this over last night & it is really impossible for you to make heads or tails of it.

If you

[1v]

try; perhaps the correlated peculiarities in Pigeons & especially (p. 118 MS) the History of the Breeds, would be best worth glancing at. The History shows how ancient the breeds are, & yet that some of them have sensibly changed. –The account of the Pigeons will appear intolerably long & tedious, but I really think that nothing is actually superfluous; & I have thought it well worth while to treat one set of domestic varieties with care & minuteness—

Yours very sincerely

C. Darwin

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