xxxvi MEMOIR. 
good deal of the natives. I know well it would be quite unreasonable to ask 
for any further information from you; but I will just mention that I am now, 
and shall be for a long time, writing on domestic varieties of all animals. 
Any facts would be useful; especially any showing that savages take any 
care in breeding their animals; or in rejecting the bad and preserving the 
good. I have already collected much on this head, but am greedy for facts. 
You will at once see their bearing on variation under domestication. . . . 
Hardly anything in your letter has pleased me more than about sexual 
selection. In my larger MS. (and indeed in Orzgiz with respect to tuft 
of hairs on breast of cock turkey) I have guarded myself against going 
too far; but I did not at all know that male and female butterflies haunted 
rather different sites. If I had to cut up myself in a review, I would have 
quizzed Sexual Selection ; therefore, though I am fully convinced that it is 
largely true, you may imagine how pleased I am at what you say in your belief, 
This part of your letter is to me a quintessence of richness. The fact about 
butterflies attracted by coloured sepals is another good fact—worth its weight 
in gold. It would have delighted the heart of old Christian C. Sprengel, now 
many years in his grave. 
‘‘T am glad to hear that you have specially attended to ‘ mimetic’ 
analogies—a mos¢ curious subject. I hope you will publish on it. I have 
for a long time wished to know whether what Dr. Collingwood asserts is true, 
that the most striking cases generally occur between insects zzhabiting the 
same country. 
** Yours most truly obliged, 
“<C, DARWIN.”’ 
*‘ Down, September 25th, 1860. 
“‘Your letter, like every one that I have received from you, has been a 
mine of wealth, and has interested me greatly. But first for the more impor- 
tant point, viz., your Book of Travels, and I heartily rejoice that you intend 
publishing. I should think that you could not have a more respectable or 
pleasanter publisher than Mr. Van Voorst. At the same time I apprehend 
there can be no doubt that Murray has much greater power of getting large 
distribution. Murray has the character of being a very liberal paymaster, 
and I am sure I have found him most liberal and pleasant to deal with. . . . 
I rejoice I went to him with the Ovigzz. By the way, here is a case in point ! 
Colburn did not value my Yournal of Researches, and would never, I am sure, 
have published a second edition. I took it from him and sold it to Murray, 
and it has long and gveat sale up to present day. If you should decide on 
Mr. Murray, and if you would so like, I shall be most happy to write to him, 
and can most truly tell him how much I appreciate the force of intellect and 
knowledge and style of your lettersto me.” (Then follows advice asto striking 
out superfluous words, already extracted from this letter, and printed in 
Darwin's Zzfe, vol. ii., p. 380.) ‘‘ What a capital paper yours will be on 
mimetic resemblances. You will make quite a new subject of it. . . . What 
wonderful cases yours seem to be. 
“Yours sincerely, 
“¢C. DARWIN.’” 
