162 Life ami Ltittrs of Francix (wultini 



released from the opeiatinji; table seeinwl little dashed in spirits, play, snitt' 

 and are ready to fight^to mate them at once. 



"It would be exceedingly instructive, suppoRing the experiment to give affirmative results, 

 to notice the gradually waning powers of producing mongrel ofl'spring." 



Galton clearly intended to continue the experiments; for a week after 

 his paper was read he write** to George Darwin thanking him for a letter in 

 which he had stated that his father was willing to take charge of eight of 

 the rabbits'. Galton gives particulai-s about these eight young rabbits, how 

 they should be mateil and wluu the young should be returned to London for 

 further operations. 



"My paper will come out in the next number of the R. Society Proceedings and T will send 

 your Father a copy with their pedigree marked." The hxtis for experimenting has, however, 

 changed. "Though I .shall not have my old excellent assistant Fraser, who sails this day week for 

 Calcutta, I shall have the run of the University College Pliysiologiail Ijiiboratory an<l .shall 

 he able, I believe, to conduct all the openitions there with convenience greater than hitherto." 



Again Darwin's letter is missing, but on April 25 Galton writes: 



(11) 42, Rutland Gate, April 25, '71. 



My dear Dakwin, T am grieved l)eyond measure to learn that I liave misrepresented your 

 doctrine, and the only consolation I can feel is that your letter to 'Nature' may place that 

 doctrine in a clearer light and attract more attention to it. I write hurriedly, as time is impor- 

 tant t<> Nive the morning's post, in order to point out two passages which, I hope, in your letter 

 to 'Nature' you will explain at length, so as to remove the false impression of Pangenesis under 



which I and probably others lalxmr. In "Domestication of Aniuialsctc." p. 374" throw off 



minute granules or atoms, which circulate fi-eely throughout the system......" And p. 379" 



the granules must be thoroughly diffused ; nor does this seem improbable considering the 



steady circulation of fluids throughout the Inxly." (Is there not also a p{M.sage in which the words 

 "circulating fluid" an; use<n I cannot hurriedly lay my hand on it, but Ijelieve it to exist.) 

 Believe me — ni-cessarily in great haste— Very sincerely yours, Fkancis Galton. 



(12) 42, Rutland Gatb, May 2/71. 



M V DEAn Darwin, I send a copy of the rabbit paper, in which I have marked the genealogy 

 of the 6 little ones (p. 401). 



You will see my repl}' in next we<'k's 'Nature'. I justify my misunderstanding as well as 

 I can and, I think, reasonably. The half plaintive end to the letter will amuse you. Very 

 sincerely yours, Francis Galton. 



I begin an entirely new and different series of experiments to-morrow. 



One letter more before we come to the Nature coirespondence. Darwin's 

 and Galton's letters in Nature opened a general correspondence, in part of 

 which Darwin was roughly handled and Galton wrote to him as follows: 



(13) 42, RuTL.\ND Gatk, May 1-2/71. 



My ubar Dakwin, I have just seen 's not nicely conceivetl letter in 'Nature' on Pan- 

 genesis, and write at once to you, lest you should imagine that T in any way share the animus 

 of the letter. I dt) not know liim ; at least, I have, perha[m twice only, hiwl occasion to converse 

 with him, — and what he says, certainly does not express my own opinion as expressed elsewhere 

 and to others. I should not fec-l easy, if I did not disavow all share in it to you. Ever very 

 sincerely, P'rascik Galton. 



My new experiments are not hopeful — alas! I hope Pangenesis will get well discussed now. 



' A jxwtcard datwl April 14th Down : — "Tlie rabbits arrived safe last night and are lively 

 tad pretty this morning C. D," — seems to belong to this dat«. 



