To G. J. Romanes 9 March [1881]1
Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.
March 9th
My dear Romanes
One line to thank you for your letter, which I shd. have been very sorry if it had been shortened by a single line.—2
Your remarks on consciousness & self-consciousness seem to me very good.—3 I do not at all know what I shall make of the subject, & shd. not be in the least surprised if I come to the conclusion that I have worked for several weeks quite uselessly.— Some months ago I tried to make out about experience, & the result indicated that worms do learn, but from causes too long here to explain I dare not trust my observations.— I intend to have another attempt to eliminate the source of doubt, but Heaven only knows whether I shall succeed.—
It was very good of you to write so fully & so clearly.—
Ever yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin
Footnotes
Summary
Comments on GJR’s view of animal consciousness. Mentions experiment on learning among worms.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-13082
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- George John Romanes
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.585)
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 13082,” accessed on 8 May 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-13082.xml