1859.] C. LYELL. 25 



side of a question for thirty years, and then deliberately give 

 it up, is a fact to which I much doubt whether the records of 

 science offer a parallel. For myself, also, I rejoice pro- 

 foundly ; for, thinking of so many cases of men pursuing an 

 illusion for years, often and often a cold shudder has run 

 through me, and I have asked myself whether I may not have 

 devoted my life to a phantasy. Now I look at it as morally 

 impossible that investigators of truth, like you and Hooker, 

 can be wholly wrong, and therefore I rest in peace. Thank 

 you for criticisms, which, if there be a second edition, I will 

 attend to. I have been thinking that if I am much execrated 

 as an atheist, &c, whether the admission of the doctrine of 

 natural selection could injure your works ; but I hope and 

 think not, for as far as I can remember, the virulence of 

 bigotry is expended on the first offender, and those who 

 adopt his views are only pitied as deluded, by the wise and 

 cheerful bigots. 



I cannot help thinking that you overrate the importance of 

 the multiple origin of dogs. The only difference is, that in the 

 case of single origins, all difference of the races has origi- 

 nated since man domesticated the species. In the case of 

 multiple origins part of the difference was produced under 

 natural conditions. I should infinitely prefer the theory of 

 single origin in all cases, if facts would permit its reception. 

 But there seems to me some a prioi'i improbability (seeing 

 how fond savages are of taming animals), that throughout all 

 times, and throughout all the world, that man should have 

 domesticated one single species alone, of the widely distrib- 

 uted genus Canis. Besides this, the close resemblance of 

 at least three kinds of American domestic dogs to wild spe- 

 cies still inhabiting the countries where they are now domes- 

 ticated, seem to almost compel admission that more than one 

 wild Canis has been domesticated by man. 



this was not published till 1865. He was, however, at work on the ' An- 

 tiquity of Man ' in 1S60, and had already determined to discuss the ' Ori- 

 gin ' at the end of the book. 

 26 



