39O SPREAD OF EVOLUTION. [1862. 



year, are occasional notes on the progress of the 'Variation 

 of Animals and Plants.' Thus on November 24th he wrote : 

 " I hardly know why I am a little sorry, but my present 

 work is leading me to believe rather more in the direct action 

 of physical conditions. I presume I regret it, because it 

 lessens the glory of Natural Selection, and is so confoundedly 

 doubtful. Perhaps I shall change again when I get all my 

 facts under one point of view, and a pretty hard job this 

 will be." 



Again, on December 22nd, "To-day I have begun to 

 think of arranging my concluding chapters on Inheritance, 

 Reversion, Selection, and such things, and am fairly paralysed 

 how to begin and how to end, and what to do, with my huge 

 piles of materials."] 



C. Darwin to Asa Gray. 



Down, Nov. 6 [1862]. 



MY DEAR GRAY, When your note of October 4th and I3th 

 (chiefly about Max Miiller) arrived, I was nearly at the end 

 of the same book,* and had intended recommending you to 

 read it. I quite agree that it is extremely interesting, but the 

 latter part about the first origin of language much the least 



satisfactory. It is a marvellous problem [There are] 



covert sneers at me, which he seems to get the better of 

 towards the close of the book. I cannot quite see how it 

 will forward " my cause," as you call it ; but I can see how 

 any one with literary talent (I do not feel up to it) could 

 make great use of the subject in illustration.! What pretty 

 metaphors you would make from it ! I wish some one would 



* 'Lectures on the Science of Also by Prof. Schleicher, whose 



Language,' ist edit. 1861. pamphlet was fully noticed in the 



f Language was treated in the Reader, Feb. 27, 1864 (as I learn 



manner here indicated by Sir C. from one of Prof. Huxley's Lay 



Lyell in the ' Antiquity of Man.' Sermons ') 



