334 'DESCENT OF MAN '—EXPRESSION. [1872. 



C. Darwin to /. L. A. de Quatrefages. 



Down, January 15. 1872. 

 My dear Sir, — I am much obliged for your very kind 

 letter and exertions in my favour. I had thought that the 

 publication of my last book [' Descent of Man '] would have 

 destroyed all your sympathy with me, but though I estimated 

 very highly your great liberality of mind, it seems that I 

 underrated it. 



I am gratified to hear that M. Lacaze-Duthiers will vote * 

 for me, for I have long honoured his name. I cannot help 

 regretting that you should expend your valuable time in 

 trying to obtain for me the honour of election, for I fear, 

 judging from the last time, that all your labour will be in vain. 

 Whatever the result may be, I shall always retain the most 

 lively recollection of your sympathy and kindness, and this 

 will quite console me for my rejection. 



With much respect and esteem, I remain, dear Sir, 



Yours truly obliged, 

 Charles Darwin. 



P.S. — With respect to the great stress which you lay on 

 man walking on two legs, whilst the quadrumana go on all 

 fours, permit me to remind you that no one much values the 

 great difference in the mode of locomotion, and consequently 

 in structure, between seals and the terrestrial carnivora, or 

 between the almost biped kangaroos and other marsupials. 



C. Darwin to August Weismann. f 



Down, April 5, 1872. 



My dear Sir, — I have now read your essay J with very 

 great interest. Your view of the ' Origin ' of local races 



* He was not elected as a corresponding member of the French Acad- 

 emy until 1878. 



f Professor of Zoology in Freiburg. 



X ' Ueber den Einfluss der Isolirung auf die Artbildung.* Leipzig, 

 1872. 



