as daylight. I fully agree with all that you say on the
advantages of H. Spencer's excellent expression of "the survival of the
fittest." This, however, had not occurred to me till reading your
letter. It is, however, a great objection to this term that it cannot be
used as a substantive governing a verb; and that this is a real
objection I infer from H. Spencer continually using the words "Natural
Selection."

I formerly thought, probably in an exaggerated degree, that it was a
great advantage to bring into connection natural and artificial
selection; this indeed led me to use a term in common, and I still think
it some advantage. I wish I had received your letter two months ago, for
I would have worked in "the survival," etc., often in the new edition of
the "Origin," which is now almost printed off, and of which I will, of
course, send you a copy. I will use the term in my next book on Domestic
Animals, etc., from which, by the way, I plainly see that you expect
_much_ too much. The term Natural Selection has now been so largely used
abroad and at home that I doubt whether it could be given up, and with
all its faults I should be sorry to see the attempt made. Whether it
will be rejected must now depend on the "survival of the fittest."

As in time the term must grow intelligible, the objections to its use
will grow weaker and weaker. I doubt whether the use of any term would
have made the subject intelligible to some minds, clear as it is to
others; for do we not see, even to the present day, Malthus on
Population absurdly misunderstood? This reflection about Malthus has
often comforted me when I have been vexed at the misstatement of my
views.

As for M. Janet,[55] he is a metaphysician, and such gentlemen are so
acute that I think they often misunderstand common folk. Your criticism
on the double sense in which I have used Natural Selection is new to me
and unanswerable; but my blunder has done no harm, for I do not believe
that anyone excepting you has ever observed it. Again, I agree that I
have said too much about "favourable variations," but I am inclined to
think you put the opposite side too strongly; if every part of every
being varied, I do not think we should see the same end or object gained
by such wonderfully diversified means.

I hope you are enjoying the country and are in good health, and are
working hard at your Malay Archipelago book, for I will always put this
wish in every note I write to y