252 PUBLICATION OF THE 'ORIGIN OF SPECIES.' [1859. 



them, but the remembrance of the intolerable labour for 

 instance, in tracing the history of the breeds of pigeons. 



C. Darwin to J. D. Hooker. 



Down, 25th [December, 1859]. 



... I shall not write to Decaisne ; * I have always had 

 a strong feeling that no one had better defend his own 

 priority. I cannot say that I am as indifferent to the subject 

 as I ought to be, but one can avoid doing anything in 

 consequence, 



I do not believe one iota about your having assimilated any 

 of my notions unconsciously. You have always done me more 

 than justice. But I do think I did you a bad turn by getting 

 you to read the old MS., as it must have checked your own 

 original thoughts. There is one thing I am fully convinced 

 of, that the future progress (which is the really important 

 point) of the subject will have depended on really good and 

 well-known workers, like yourself, Lyell, and Huxley, having 

 taken up the subject, than on my own work. I see plainly it 

 is this that strikes my non-scientific friends. 



Last night I said to myself, I would just cut your Intro- 

 duction, but would not begin to read, but I broke down, and 

 had a good hour's read. 



Farewell, yours affectionately, 



C. Darwin. 



C. Darwin to J. D. Hooker. 



December 28th, 1859. 

 . . . Have you seen the splendid essay and notice of my 

 book in the Times ?\ I cannot avoid a strong suspicion that 

 it is by Huxley ; but I never heard that he wrote in the 

 Times. It will do grand service, . . . 



* With regard to Naudin's paper in the ' Revue Horticole,' 1852. 

 t Dec. 26th. 



