of Hensleigh Wedgwood's new Dictionary on the first origin of Language;
Erasmus would lend it. I agree about Carpenter, a very good article, but
with not much original...Andrew Murray has criticised, in an address to the
Botanical Society of Edinburgh, the notice in the 'Linnean Journal,' and
"has disposed of" the whole theory by an ingenious difficulty, which I was
very stupid not to have thought of; for I express surprise at more and
analogous cases not being known. The difficulty is, that amongst the blind
insects of the caves in distant parts of the world there are some of the
same genus, and yet the genus is not found out of the caves or living in
the free world. I have little doubt that, like the fish Amblyopsis, and
like Proteus in Europe, these insects are "wrecks of ancient life," or
"living fossils," saved from competition and extermination. But that
formerly SEEING insects of the same genus roamed over the whole area in
which the cases are included.

Farewell, yours affectionately,
C. DARWIN.

P.S.--OUR ancestor was an animal which breathed water, had a swim bladder,
a great swimming tail, an imperfect skull, and undoubtedly was an
hermaphrodite!

Here is a pleasant genealogy for mankind.


CHARLES DARWIN TO C. LYELL.
Down, January 14th [1860].

...I shall be much interested in reading your man discussion, and will give
my opinion carefully, whatever that may be worth; but I have so long looked