ch. xi.] 18581859. 209 



P.S. Would you advise me to tell Murray that my "book 

 is not more ww-orthodox than the subject makes inevitable. 

 That I do not discuss the origin of man. That I do not 

 bring in any discussion about Genesis, &c. &c, and only give 

 facts, and such conclusions from them as seem to me fair. 



Or had I better say nothing to Murray, and assume that 

 he cannot object to this much unorthodoxy, which in fact is 

 not more than any Geological Treatise which runs slap 

 counter to Genesis. 



T* }iCLOSU.7*B 



AN ABSTRACT OF AN ESSAY 



ON THE 



OKIGIN 



OF 



SPECIES AND VAEIETIES 



THROUGH NATURAL SELECTION 



BY 



Charles Darwin, M.A. 



FELLOW OF THE ROYAL, GEOLOGICAL, AND LINNEAN SOCIETIES. 



LONDON : 



&c. &c. &c. &c. 



1859. 



G. D. fo C. Lyell. Down, March 30th [1859]. 



My dear Lyell, You have been uncommonly kind in 

 all you have done. You not only have saved me much 

 trouble and some anxiety, but have done all incomparably 

 better than I could have done it. I am much pleased at 

 all you say about Murray. I will write either to-day or to- 

 morrow to him, and will send shortly a large bundle of MS., 

 but unfortunately I cannot for a week, as the first three 

 chapters are in the copyists' hands. 



I am sorry about Murray objecting to the term Abstract, 

 as I look at it as the only possible apology for not giving 

 references and facts in full, but I will defer to him and you. 

 I am also sorry about the term " natural selection." I hope 

 to retain it with explanation somewhat as thus : 



" Through natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races." 



