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CnrrexpoiKlence in'tfi C/i<trlcn Darwin 157 



also with negative conclusions, which results confirmatory of the thesis of 

 his memoir (Jalton never to my knowledge piiMished in aetail. Those who 

 rend the letters l)el()W cannot donht that Darwin knew the nature of the 

 experiments, and knew that CJallon Wiis asMuming that the 'gemmules' 

 circulated in the blood. The whole point was to determine wriether the 

 hereditary units of a breed A could lie transferred by transfusion of blood 

 to members of a breed Ji and would 'mungrelise' the ofispring conceived later 

 by B. Was the ' blood ' indeed as supposed in folk-language all over the 

 world a true bearer of hereditary characters? That question is itself of 

 importance, even apart from the question of Darwin's theory of heredity. 

 But the publication of these letters has in this particular instance a deeper 

 significance. It is a biographer's duty to illustrate the real strength of his 

 sul)ject's character, not merely to cjill it great. I know of no case in which 

 a disciple's reverence for his master has exceeded that shown by Galton for 

 Darwin in this matter. I doubt if any natures the least smaller than those 

 of Darwin and (Jalton would have sustained their friendship unbroken, even 

 for a day, after April 24th, 1871. I feel that the self-eflTacement of Galton 

 in this instance is one of the most chaiacteristic actions of his life ; but it is 

 not one that a biographer can disregard, however great his reverence for 

 Darwin. Here are the letters extending from the start of the pangenesis 

 experiments to nearly the time when Galton began to write his paper. 



(1) 42, Rutland Gate, S.W. Dec. 11, 69. 



My dkau Darwin, I wonder if you coulil help me. I want to make some peculiar experi- 

 ments that have occurred to me in breeding animals and want to procure a few couples of 

 rabbits of marked and assurinl breeds, viz: Lop-ear with an little tendency to Albinism aA 

 possible. Comtiwn KiMiln, ditto. Amjora albinos. And I find myself wholly unable to get 

 them, though I have asked many people. Do you know anylxxly who has such things? I write 

 . without your biH)k in reach, but you there especially mention a breeder of Angonus. Also you 

 quote with approbation from Delaney's little b<x)k. Are either or both of those men aca-ssible 

 and likely to help] Pray e-xcuse my troubling you; the interest of the pn)pose«l exj)eriment — 

 for it is really a curious one — must be my justitication. Very sincerely yours, Francis Galton. 



(2) 42, Rutland Gate, S.W. March 15, 70. 



My dear Darwin, Very many thanks for the information and Ixxjks. When I have got 

 up the subject, I will write again, and will in the meantime take all care of the Ixwks. 



I .shall ho|)e in a week from now to give you some news and by Saturday week definite facts 

 about the rabbits. One litter [tdoe] hiks littered to-<lay and all looks well with her. Two others 

 towards the end of the week, viz : We<lnesday and Saturday. I grieve to say that niv most 

 lioiH'ful one was confined prematurely b}' .3 days having made no nest and all we knewof the 

 matter was finding bl<x)d aUmt the cage and the head of one of the litter. She was transfused 

 from yellow and the buck also from yellow. Well the liead was certainly much lighter than 

 the head of another abortion I had seen, and was certaiidy irregularly coioure<l, being es|XH;i- 

 ally darker about the muzzle, but I did not and do not car«! to build anything about such 

 vague facts and have not even kept the head. As soon as I know any/hing 1 will write 

 instantly and lirst to you. For my part, I am quite sick with expected hope and doubt. 



Ever very sincerely, F. Galton. 



It will be seen from Letters (I) and (2) that between Dec. 11, 1869 and 

 March 15, 1870, Galton must by letter or verbally have communicated the 

 purpose of his experiments to Darwin. He now speaks quite openly of the 

 transfusion and its possible effect on the nature of the offspring. 



