You will allow, I suppose, that the capacity of grafting has
not been directly acquired through Natural Selection.
I think that you will be pleased with the second volume or part of
Lyell's Principles, just out.
In regard to sexual selection. A girl sees a handsome man, and without
observing whether his nose or whiskers are the tenth of an inch longer
or shorter than in some other man, admires his appearance and says she
will marry him. So, I suppose, with the pea-hen; and the tail has been
increased in length merely by, on the whole, presenting a more gorgeous
appearance. Jenner Weir, however, has given me some facts showing that
birds apparently admire details of plumage.--Yours most sincerely,
C. DARWIN.
* * * * *
_Hurstpierpoint. March 24, [1868?]._
Dear Darwin,--Many thanks for the photo, which I shall get when I go to
town.
I return your son's notes with my notes on them.
Without going into any details, is not this a strong general argument?--
1. A species varies occasionally in two directions, but owing to their
free intercrossing they (the variations) never increase.
Pages:
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321