[Enclosure]

Eversley March 23/62 My dear M^r. Darwin,

Will you kindly give me your views of an old puzzle of mine? I am told that man is the highest mammal—w^h. I dont deny. But that is supposed to include the theory of his being the highest possible mammal—w^h. I do deny.

I see two imperfections in man as he is

1. The existence of the mammæ in the male, shewing that the sexes are not yet perfectly separated.

2. The ditrematous condition, w^h. he has in common with the other mammals.²

That the specialty of organs increases as you rise in the scale, is, I suppose an acknowledged law—³ And therefore, while I see, both in male & female, two diff^t. secretions passing through the one orifice of the urethra, I cannot but suspect imperfection, & look forward to some higher tri-trematous race.

It is noteworthy, that the fact of the 2 secretions (urinary & sexual) passing through the same orifice) has been in all ages, Brahmin, Buddhist, Monastic, & What not, the physical ground of the contempt of sex, & of all that belongs to sex. No physical fact has played a more important part in the history of religion— W^h. is, & always will be, the main history of the human mind.

Tell me what you think of this. You I can speak to as I can to no other man—⁴

Yours ever faithfully | C. Kingsley