334 EVOLUTION [Chap. V 



of intelligence, and which must have necessitated the gradual grouping 

 together of pithecoid men into more or less definite families." (See 

 Descent, I., p. 13, on the prolonged infancy of the anthropoid apes.) 



Down, Nov. 9th, 1871. 

 Letter 247 I am greatly obliged to you for having sent me, through 

 my son, your lectures, and for the very honourable manner in 

 which you allude to my works. The lectures seem to me to 

 be written with much force, clearness, and originality. You 

 show also a truly extraordinary amount of knowledge of all 

 that has been published on the subject. The type in many 

 parts is so small that, except to young eyes, it is very difficult 

 to read. Therefore I wish that you would reflect on their 

 separate publication, though so much has been published on 

 the subject that the public may possibly have had enough. I 

 hope that this may be your intention, for I do not think 

 I have ever seen the general argument more forcibly put so 

 as to convert unbelievers. 



It has surprised and pleased me to see that you and others 

 have detected the falseness of much of Mr. Mivart's reasoning. 

 I wish I had read your lectures a month or two ago, as I have 

 been preparing a new edition of the Origin, in which I answer 

 some special points, and I believe I should have found your 

 lectures useful ; but my MS. is now in the printers' hands, 

 and I have not strength or time to make any more additions. 



P.S. — By an odd coincidence, since the above was written 

 I have received your very obliging letter of October 23rd. I 

 did notice the point to which you refer, and will hereafter 

 reflect more over it. I was indeed on the point of putting in 

 a sentence to somewhat of the same effect in the new edition 

 of the Origin, in relation to the query — Why have not apes 

 advanced in intellect as much as man ? but I omitted it on 

 account of the asserted prolonged infancy of the orang. I 

 am also a little doubtful about the distinction between gre- 

 gariousness and sociability. 



. . . When you come to England I shall have much 

 pleasure in making your acquaintance ; but my health is 

 habitually so weak that I have very small power of con- 

 versing with my friends as much as I wish. Let me again 

 thank you for your letter. To believe that I have at all 

 influenced the minds of able men is the greatest satisfaction 

 I am capable of receiving. 



