1871..I 'EXPRESSION OF THE EMOTIONS.' 313 



eral assent with which his views had been received," and as 

 remarking that " everybody is talking about it without being 

 shocked." 



Later in the year the reception of the book is described 

 in different language in the * Edinburgh Review ' : * " On 

 every side it is raising a storm of mingled wrath, wonder, 

 and admiration." 



With regard to the subsequent reception of the ' Descent 

 of Man,' my father wrote to Dr. Dohrn, February 3, 1872 : — 



*' I did not know until reading your article, f that my 



* Descent of Man ' had excited so much furore in Germany. 

 It has had an immense circulation in this country and in 

 America, but has met the approval of hardly any naturalists 

 as far as I know. Therefore I suppose it was a mistake on 

 my part to publish it ; but, anyhow, it will pave the way for 

 some better work." 



The book on the ' Expression of the Emotions ' was begun 

 on January 17th, 1871, the last proof of the ' Descent of Man ' 

 having been finished on January 15th. The rough copy was 

 finished by April 27th, and shortly after this (in June) the 

 work was interrupted by the preparation of a sixth edition of 

 the 'Origin.' In November and December the proofs of the 



* Expression ' book were taken in hand, and occupied him 

 until the following year, when the book was published. 



Some references to the work on Expression have occurred 

 in letters already given, showing that the foundation of the 

 book was, to some extent, laid down for some years before he 

 began to write it. Thus he wrote to Dr. Asa Gray, April 15, 

 1867 :— 



" I have been lately getting up and looking over my old 

 notes on Expression, and fear that I shall not make so much 

 of my hobby-horse as I thought I could ; nevertheless, it 



* July 1871. An adverse criticism. The reviewer sums up by saying 

 that: "Never perhaps in the history of philosophy have such wide gen- 

 eralisations been derived from such a small basis of fact," 



\ In ' Das Ausland.' 



38 



