188 
“My first child was born on December 27, 1839, and I at once 
commenced to make notes on the first dawn of the various ex- 
pressions which he exhibited, for I felt convinced, even at this 
early period, that the most complex and fine shades of expression 
must all have had a gradual and natural origin.”—Autobiography. 
130. The formation of vegetable mould, through the action of 
worms, with observations on thetr habits. First edition. 
London, 1881. 
“2. PT know not whether it will interest any readers, but it has 
interested me.”—lutol 
: bli 
WHEEL OOLO GF UPI. 
8500 copies sold between November, 1881, and February, 1&8 
oT 
131. Insectivorous plants. First edition. London, 1875. 
. whenever | had leisure [ pursued my experiments, and 
my book on ‘ Insectivorous Plants’ was published in July, 1875— 
that is, sixteen years after my first observations.” —<lutobtography. 
2700 copies were sold out of an edition of 3000. 
* You ask about my book, and all [ can say is that I] am ready 
to commit suicide I begin to think that everyone who pub- 
lishes a book is a fool.”—Darwin to J. D. Hooker. 
j at the present moment [I care more about Drosera than 
the origin of all the species in the world.’—Darwin to Lyell, No- 
vember, 1S6T. 
132. Journal and remarks. \.ondon, 1839. 
Being Vol. IIL of the Narrative of the surveying voyages of 
H.M.S. Adventure and Beagle... First edition, 1832-1836. 
The voyage of the “ Beagle” was, in Darwin's own words, “ by 
far the most important event in my life, and has determined my 
whole career.” 
“The success of this, my first literary child, always tickles my 
vanity more than that of any of my other books.” —<Auttol 
. yy foes 
—Autobiography. 
. my ‘ Journal of Researches * was seen in MS. by an emi- 
nent semi-scientific man, and’was pronounced unfit for publica- 
tion.”—Darwin, Life and Letters. 2: 243. 
243. 
