Ɛpsilon

To H. B. Dobell   17 July [1864]1

Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.

July 17th

My dear Sir

I write merely a line to thank you for your note.—2 The analogy of surnames had not occurred to me, only language generally, as has been well shown by Sir C. Lyell.—3

With respect to progression, I fear the argument wd not have much weight, unless a man was already convinced—

My dear Sir | Yours very faithfully | Ch. Darwin

over

photocopy, incomplete

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from H. B. Dobell, 15 July 1864.
3
Charles Lyell discussed the analogy between languages and species in Antiquity of man (see C. Lyell 1863a, pp. 454–70). See also Descent 1: 59–62.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-4239,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-4239