Down, Bromley, Kent, S.E. March 27, 1869.
My dear Wallace,—I must send a line to thank you, but this note will require no answer. This very morning after writing I found that "elk" was used for "moose" in Sweden, but I had been reading lately about elk and moose in North America.
As you put the case in your letter, which I think differs somewhat from your book, I am inclined to agree, and had thought that a feather could hardly be increased in length [pg 241]until it had first grown to full length, and therefore it would be increased late in life and transmitted to a corresponding age. But the Crossoptilon pheasant, and even the common pheasant, show that the tail feathers can be developed very early.
Thanks for other facts, which I will reflect on when I go again over my MS.
I read all that you said about the Dutch Government with much interest, but I do not feel I know enough to form any opinion against yours.
I shall be intensely curious to read the Quarterly: I hope you have not murdered too completely your own and my child.
I have lately, i.e. in the new edition of the "Origin,"[80] been moderating my zeal, and attributing much more to mere useless variability. I did think I would send you the sheet, but I daresay you would not care to see it, in which I discuss Nägeli's essay on Natural Selection not affecting characters of no functional importance, and which yet are of high classificatory importance.
Hooker is pretty well satisfied with what I have said on this head. It will be curious if we have hit on similar conclusions. You are about the last man in England who would deviate a hair's breadth from his conviction to please any editor in the world.—Yours very sincerely,
CH. DARWIN.
P.S.—After all, I have thought of one question, but if I receive no answer I shall understand that (as is probable) you have nothing to say. I have seen it remarked that the men and women of certain tribes differ a little in shade or tint; but have you ever seen or heard of any difference in tint between the two sexes which did not appear to follow from a difference in habits of life?