[page] 476

DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE

A PRICELESS DARWIN LETTER

THE day of publication of the immortal volume entitled "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life" was November 24, 1859. On the same day Charles Darwin, who at the time appears to have been taking the cure at Ilkley, wrote the following highly characteristic letter to his friend Huxley:

ILKLEY, WELLS HOUSE OTLY, YORKSHIRE

24th

My dear Huxley

I have heard from Murray today that he sold whole edition of my Book the first day, & he wants another instantly, which confounds me, as I can make hardly any corrections. But a friend writes to me that it ought to be Geoffroy DE St. Hilaire: my memory says no. Will you turn to a title-page & tell me soon and forgive me asking this trouble. Remember how deeply I wish to know your general impression of the truth of the theory of Natural Selection — only a short note — at some future time if you have any lengthy criticisms, l sd be infinitely grateful for them. You know well how highly I value your opinion. In Haste, for I am bothered to death by this new edition

Ever yours

C. DARWIN

The letter reveals many of Darwin's characteristics: First, his modesty regarding his work, expressed indirectly in his surprise that his publisher sold the whole edition on the first day; second, his difficulty in writing, as shown in the abbreviated style of this letter and in his feeling "confounded" by the demand for certain corrections; third, his feeling of hesitation in putting forth the theory of Natural Selection and his desire to secure Huxley's general impression as to its truth; fourth, his thoughtfulness in asking Huxley "only a short note" and at some future time lengthy criticisms, if they were forthcoming; fifth, the very high value be placed upon Huxley's opinion, in contrast to his doubt as to his own opinions; finally, his dismay at the thought of corrections for a new edition, which "confounded" him and "bothered him to death."

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This letter evidently crossed in the mails Huxley's letter of criticism of the "Origin," dated November 23, which appears in full in "The Life and Letters of Huxley" and in "Charles Darwin, Autobiography and Letters" (p. 225), and from which a few quotations may be interesting here:

I finished your book yesterday [advance copy], a lucky examination having furnished me with a few hours of continuous leisure ....

As to the first four chapters, I agree thoroughly and fully with all the principles laid down in them. I think you have demonstrated a true cause for the production of species, and have thrown the onus probandi, that species did not arise in the way you suppose, on your adversaries .. . The only objections that have occurred to me are, 1st that you have loaded yourself with an unnecessary difficulty in adopting Natura non facit saltum so unreservedly. ... And 2nd, it is not clear to me why, if continual physical conditions are of so little moment as you suppose, variation should occur at all .... Looking back over my letter, it really expresses so feebly all I think about you and your noble book that I am half ashamed of it; but you will understand that, like the parrot in the story, "I think the more."

To this letter Darwin, who at the time was at Ilkley, replied on November 25:

My dear Huxley,—Your letter has been forwarded to me from Down. Like a good Catholic who has received extreme unction, I can now sing "nunc dimittis." I should have been more than contented with one quarter of what you have said. Exactly fifteen months ago, when I put pen to paper for this volume, I had awful misgivings; and thought perhaps I had deluded myself, like so many have done, and I then fixed in my mind three judges, on whose decision I determined mentally to abide. The judges were Lyell, Hooker, and yourself. It was this which made me so excessively anxious for your verdict. ...

My dear Huxley, I thank you cordially for your letter.

Yours very sincerely.

Darwin's priceless letter of November 24, apparently now published for the first time, was most generously presented by Leonard Huxley to Professor Osborn during his recent visit to London; it will ultimately find its way to the Darwin Hall in the American Museum of Natural History to be placed beside the statue of Darwin near the equally priceless manuscript page from the "Origin" presented to the Museum by Major Leonard Darwin. Professor Osborn immediately endeavored to secure a copy of the first printing of the "Origin of Species," of date November 24, 1859, and finally was so fortunate as to purchase one for the museum at a recent sale. This copy bears the inscription J. Bute Jukes (the geologist). It was learned through Professor Edward B. Poulton, the leading Darwin scholar of Oxford University, that the first printing and edition may be recognized by the presence on page 184 of the following passage, which was omitted in subsequent printings:

 In North America the black bear was seen by Hearne swimming for hours with widely open mouth, thus catch- ing, like a whale, insects in the water. Even in so extreme a case as this, if the supply of insects were constant, and if better adapted competitors did not already exist in the country, I can see no difficulty in a race of bears being rendered, by natural selection, more and more aquatic in their structure and habits, with larger and larger mouths, till a creature was produced as monstrous as a whale.

Certainly the subsequent editions of the "Origin" were materially improved by the omission of this fabulous story of the habits of the black bear, which probably goes back to an early period of the development of natural history in North America.

HENRY FAIRFIELD OSBORN

WOODSOME LODGE,

GARRISON, NEW YORK,

October 12, 1926