To E. B. Tylor 30 April [1871]
Down. | Beckenham | Kent. S.E.
April 30th
Dear Sir
I thank you sincerely for your extremely kind & valuable present of Primitive Culture, received yesterday.1 You speak of regretting that you had not seen my Descent of man previously to writing your 2d. Chapt.; but I am certain to feel tenfold regret at not having read your book, as your knowledge about the early state of man is so wonderfully great.2
I am very sorry that it did not occur to me to send you my last Book, & I fear it is now too late; but I will not forget to send you my essay on Expression whenever it is published.3
With my best thanks, believe me. Yours faithfully & obliged | Ch. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.
Expression: The expression of the emotions in man and animals. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1872.
Marginalia: Charles Darwin’s marginalia. Edited by Mario A. Di Gregorio with the assistance of Nicholas W. Gill. Vol. 1. New York and London: Garland Publishing. 1990.
Tylor, Edward Burnett. 1871. Primitive culture: researches into the development of mythology, philosophy, religion, art, and custom. 2 vols. London: John Murray.
Summary
Thanks EBT for present of Primitive culture [1871]. Feels certain he will regret not having read it before writing Descent.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-7727
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Edward Burnett Tylor
- Sent from
- Down
- Postmark
- MY 1 71
- Source of text
- The British Library (Add MS 50254: 37–8)
- Physical description
- ALS 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 7727,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-7727.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 19
