To T. H. Huxley   14 October 1869

My dear Huxley

I have been delighted to see y^r Rev. of Häckel, & as usual you pile honours high on my head.¹ But I write now (requiring no answer) to groan a little over what you have said about rudimentary organs. Many heretics will take advantage of what you have said. I cannot but think that the explanation given at p. 541 of the last Ed of the Origin of the long retention of rudimentary organs & of their greater relative size during early life, is satisfactory.² Their final & complete abortion seems to me a much greater difficulty. Do look in my “Var under Dom.” Vol. 2. p 397. at what Pangenesis suggests on this head, though I did not dare to put it in the Origin.³

The passage bears also a little on the struggle between the molecules or gemmules. There is likewise a word or 2 indirectly bearing on this subject at p 394–395. It won’t take you 5 minutes, so do look at these passages.

I am very glad that you have been bold enough to give y^r idea about nat. selection amongst the molecules, though I cannot quite follow you.⁴

Whenever you can spare time let me hear about the horse’s tooth from S. America—⁵

Ever yours most truly | Charles Darwin

Good Heavens what a deal of work there is in you.—