208 PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES. [Ch. XII. 



eye," * not by means analogous to man's reason, or rather by 

 some power immeasurably superior to human reason, but by 

 superinduced variation like those of which a cattle-breeder 

 avails himself. Pages would be required thus to state an 

 objection and remove it. It would be better, as you wish to 

 persuade, to say nothing. Leave out several sentences, and in 

 a future edition bring it out more fully. 



. . . But these are small matters, mere spots on the sun. 

 Your comparison of tha letters retained in words, when no 

 longer wanted for the sound, to rudimentary organs is excellent, 

 as both are truly genealogical. . . . 



You enclose your sheets in old MS., so the Post Office very 

 properly charge them, as letters, 2d. extra. I wish all their 

 fines on MS. were worth as much. I paid 4«. 6d. for such wash 

 the other day from Paris, from a man who can prove 300 

 deluges in the valley of Seine. 



With my hearty congratulations to you on your grand work, 

 believe me, 



Ever very affectionately yours. 



C. D. to L. Agassiz j Down, November 11th [1859]. 



My dear Sir, — I have ventured to send you a copy of my 

 book (as yet only an abstract) on the Origin of Species. As 

 the conclusions at which I have arrived on several points differ 

 so widely from yours, I have thought (should you at any time 

 read my volume) that you might think that I had sent it to 

 you out of a spirit of defiance or bravado ; but I assure you 

 that I act under a wholly different frame of mind. I hope that 



* Darwin wrote to Asa Gray tn 1860: — ''The eye to this day gives 

 me a cold shudder, but when I think of the fine known gradations, my 

 reason tells me I ought to conquer the cold shudder." 



f Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz, born at Mortier, on the lake of Morat 

 in Switzerland, on May 28th, 1807. He emigrated to America in 1846, 

 where he spent the rest of his life, and died Dec. 14th, 1873. His Life, 

 written by his widow, was published in 1885. The following extract 

 from a letter to Agassiz (1850) is worth giving, as showing how my 

 father regarded him, and it may be added that his cordial feeling 

 towards the great American naturalist remained strong to the end of his 

 life:— 



"I have seldom been more deeply gratified than by receiving your 

 most kind present of Lake Superior. 1 had heard of it, and had much 

 wished to read it, but I confess that it was the very great honour of 

 having in my possession a work with your autograph as a presentation 

 copy, that has given me such lively and sincere pleasure. I cordially 

 thank you for it. I have begun to read it with uncommon interest, 

 which I see will increase as I go on." 



