CORRESPONDENCE WITH CHARLES DARWIN 



work which you have done, and allow me to add that 

 I have been frightened at it. I do not believe any head 

 can long withstand such work ; reflect sometimes how 

 much you will do if you can keep ten years of good 

 health. I know to my cost what ill-health is, may you 

 never have my experience." 



DANA TO DARWIN 



On the Origin of Species 



"NEW HAVEN, Dec. 4, 1862. 



" A year and a half ago I partially completed a letter 

 to you in reply to your kind words which greeted me 

 soon after my arrival in the country. I have been de- 

 laying ever since then, against my inclination, with the 

 hope of being able soon to report that I was in a condi- 

 tion to read your work'. Many long months, and now 

 even years, have passed by, and still your book, the 

 Origin, remains unopened. You see that I have been 

 gaining and doing some work in the Geological Manual, 

 which I trust will have reached you before you have the 

 reading of this note. But I have worked to great disad- 

 vantage, one to three hours a day, and often none at all, 

 and thus have gradually pushed through the labor to the 

 end. I am now resuming my duties in the University. 

 But one hour's intercourse with the students in the 

 lecture-room is a day's work for me. Thus you will yet 



?ardon my seeming neglect of your work. In my Geology 

 had a chapter partly prepared on the question whether 

 the organization of species was a subject within the range 

 of dynamical geology, taking sides, I confess, against 

 you ; but I omitted it entirely because I could not study 

 up the subject to the extent that was necessary to do it 

 justice. I have, however, expressed an opinion on this 

 point in the Geology ; and this you will excuse, for my 

 persuasions are so strong that I could not say less. You 

 will perhaps be the more interested in the work because 

 of its American character. 



* I have thus far had nothing to do, since the summer 

 of 1859, w ^h the editing of the Journal of Science, al- 

 though wholly charged with it before then. I hope soon 

 to take hold again. 



