From W. S. Dallas   9 May 1879

Geological Society, | Burlington House, W.

9 May 1879

My dear Sir

Have you seen a small work just published by Hardwicke & Bogue, entitled “Evolution, old & new” by Samuel Butler? I have read but a little way in it, but the author seems to be writing the panegyric of Dr. Erasmus Darwin & his Philosophy—1 There are over 20 pages of the life of Dr. Darwin & 40 of exposition of his views & quotations from the “Zoonomia”.—2 Does not this rather take the wind out of our sails?

Believe me | yours very truly | W. S. Dallas

C. Darwin Esq G

1
Samuel Butler discussed Erasmus Darwin, CD’s grandfather, in S. Butler 1879, pp. 173–234. Dallas was translating Ernst Krause’s revised essay on Erasmus Darwin (Krause 1879a) for publication as part of Erasmus Darwin.
2
Erasmus Darwin had published his evolutionary views in Zoonomia (E. Darwin 1794–6).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12045,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12045