LETTERS. 211 



about the so-called "gesthetic" school, which had 

 become rather predominant at the period, and which 

 affected an abhorrence of all brilliant colouring, in 

 spite of the circumstance that nature abounds in 

 the most gorgeous hues, especially in the tropics. 



The next letter refers to the adoption of the word 

 " phyletic " in the translation of Weismann. 



"i>ec'. 14[1878]. "Down. 



"My dear Sir,— I am very glad that you are making good 

 progress with the book. — You could not apply to a worse 

 person than myself on any philological question. I presume 

 that ' phyletische ' has been adopted or modified from Hackel. 

 As the latter uses the word, it has nearly the sense of 

 genealogical. It always applies to the lines of descent, and 

 therefore dififets somewhat from 'innate' ; for an inherited 

 character, though derived from the father alone or only a 

 single generation, would be innate in the child. I should 

 think ' phyletic ' would do very well, if you gave the German 

 word and an explanation, in a foot-note. 



" There has been a delay in answering your letter, but I 



have just heard from my son who is away from home, and he 



says that he is sorry but he cannot well spare the time to 



lecture. 



" My dear Sir, yours very faithfully, 



"Ch. Darwin." 



Then followed two letters (January 20th, and Feb- 

 ruary 7th, 1879), the first written when Darwin was 

 sending a number of Kosmos ; the second referring 

 to it and other papers, and asking that his name 

 should be put down as a subscriber to the forth- 

 coming translation of Weismann. 



Later on the number of Kosmos for May, 1879, was 

 sent, containing (p. 100) Fritz Mtiller's paper " Ituna 



