THE LIFE AND LETTERS CHARLES DARWIN, EDITED CY HIS SON, FRANCIS DARWIN. IS THKEE VOLUMES-VOL. 11 -- TABLE OF CONTENTS. VOLUME 11. CHAPTER I.-THE FOUNDATIO OF N S T HE ORIGIN OF SPECIES-1 837-1844 . . . . CHAPTER 11.-THE GROWTH OF THE ORIGIN O F SPECIES - 1843-1856 . CHAPTER 111.-THE UNFINISHEBDO OK-MAY 1856-JUNE 1858 . . . . CHAPTER 1V.-THE WRITING O F THE ORIGIN O F SPECIE S - JUNE 18, 1858-Nov, 1859 . . CHAPTER V.-PROFESSOR HUXLEY O N THE RECEPTION OF THE ORIGIN O F SPECIE S CHAPTER V1.-THE PUBLICATIO O N F THE ORIGIN O F SPECIES--OCT. 3, 1859-DEC. 31, 1859 . . CHAPTER VI1.-THE ORIGIN O F SPECIE S continued-1860 . . . . CHAPTER VII1.-THE SPREAD O F EVOLUTION-1861-1862 PACE I ILLUST - RATI ONS. VOLUME 11 . frontispiece CHARLESD. ARWIN IN 1874 . From the Century Magazine the Photograph by Captain L. Darwin, R. E. FACSIMI O L F E A PAGE F ROM A NOTE-BOOR OF 1837. Photo lithographed by the Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company . . . . to faccjngc 5 LIFE AND LETTERS C H A R . L E S D A R W I N . CHAPTER I. THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES. IN the first volume, p. 82, the growth of the Origin of Species has been briefly described in my fathers words. The letters given in the present and following chapters will illustrateand amplify the history thus sketched out. It is clear that, in the e3rly part of the voyage of the Benge he did not feel it inconsistent with his views to express himself in thoroughly orthodox language as to the genesis of new .. species. Thus in I 834 he wrote at Valparaiso I have already found beds of recent shells yet retaining their colour at an elevation of I 300 feet, and beneath the level country is strewn with them. It seems not a very improbable conjecture that the want of animals m, ay be owing to none having been created since this country was raised from the sea. This passage does not occur in the published journal, the last proof of which was finished. in 1837 and this fact harmonizes with the change we know . to have been proceeding in his views. But in the published Journal we find passages which show a point of view more. inaccordance with orthodox - XIS. JournaIs, p. 468, VOL. 11. B 2 THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES. theological natural history than with his later views. Thus, in speaking of the birds Synallaxis and Scytalopus 1st edit. p. 353 2nd edit. p. 289, he says When finding, as in this case, any animal which seems to play so insignificant a part in the great scheme of nature, one is apt to wonder why a distinct species should have been created. A comparison of the two editions cf the Journal is instructive, as giving some idea of the development of his viewvs. on evo . lu . tion. It does not give us a true index of the mass of conjecture which was taking shape in his mind, but it shows us that he felt sure enough of the truth of his belief to allow a stronger tinge of evolution to appear in the second edition. He has mentioned in the Autobiography p. 83, that it was not until he read Malthus that he got a clear view of the potency of natural selection. This was in 1838-a year after he finished the first edition it was not published until 1839 a nd seven years before the second edit ion was issued 845. Thus the turning-point in the formation of his theory took place between the writing of the two editions...