passage about mental anachronism as quoted by the reviewer in the
Pall Mall Gazette, and adds immediately: "This anachronism has been
committed by Mr. Samuel Butler in a . . . little volume now before
us, and it is doubtless to this, WHICH APPEARED WHILE HIS OWN WORK
WAS IN PROGRESS [italics mine] that Dr. Krause alludes in the
foregoing passage." Considering that the editor of the Popular
Science Review and the translator of Dr. Krause's article for Mr.
Darwin are one and the same person, it is likely the Popular Science
Review is well informed in saying that my book appeared before Dr.
Krause's article had been transformed into its present shape, and
that my book was intended by the passage in question.

Unable to see any way of escaping from a conclusion which I could not
willingly adopt, I thought it best to write to Mr. Darwin, stating
the facts as they appeared to myself, and asking an explanation,
which I would have gladly strained a good many points to have
accepted. It is better, perhaps, that I should give my letter and
Darwin's answer in full. My letter ran thus:-


January 2, 1880.

CHARLES DARWIN, ESQ., F.R.S., &c.

Dear Sir,--Will you kindly refer me to the edition of Kosmos which
contains the text of Dr. Krause's article on Dr. Erasmus Darwin, as
translated by Mr. W. S. Dallas?

I have before me the last February number of Kosmos, which appears by
your preface to be the one from which Mr. Dallas has translated, but