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The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex

by Charles Darwin (1809–1882)

Portrait of Charles Darwin
Charles_Darwin_seated.jpg: Henry Maull (1829–1914) and John Fox (1832–1907) (Maull & Fox) [3] derivative work: Beao · Public domain

111 chapters, about 297,000 words. The text is in the public domain in the United States and comes from Project Gutenberg.

Chapters

  1. CONTENTS 200 words
  2. PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. 600 words
  3. PART I. THE DESCENT OR ORIGIN OF MAN. 500 words
  4. PART II. SEXUAL SELECTION. 700 words
  5. PART III. SEXUAL SELECTION IN RELATION TO MAN, AND CONCLUSION. 200 words
  6. INTRODUCTION. 1,300 words
  7. CHAPTER I. THE EVIDENCE OF THE DESCENT OF MAN FROM SOME LOWER FORM. 400 words
  8. THE BODILY STRUCTURE OF MAN. 1,300 words
  9. EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT. 500 words
  10. RUDIMENTS. 6,600 words
  11. CHAPTER II. ON THE MANNER OF DEVELOPMENT OF MAN FROM SOME LOWER FORM. 2,100 words
  12. THE DIRECT AND DEFINITE ACTION OF CHANGED CONDITIONS. 2,400 words
  13. ARRESTS OF DEVELOPMENT. 400 words
  14. REVERSION. 3,600 words
  15. CORRELATED VARIATION. 300 words
  16. RATE OF INCREASE. 1,400 words
  17. NATURAL SELECTION. 6,900 words
  18. —CONCLUSION— 1,000 words
  19. CHAPTER III. COMPARISON OF THE MENTAL POWERS OF MAN AND THE LOWER ANIMALS. 9,100 words
  20. LANGUAGE. 3,600 words
  21. SENSE OF BEAUTY. 700 words
  22. BELIEF IN GOD—RELIGION. 3,000 words
  23. SOCIABILITY. 3,900 words
  24. MAN A SOCIAL ANIMAL. 3,900 words
  25. THE STRICTLY SOCIAL VIRTUES AT FIRST ALONE REGARDED. 1,500 words
  26. CONCLUDING REMARKS. 2,600 words
  27. A SUMMARY OF THE LAST TWO CHAPTERS. 3,400 words
  28. NATURAL SELECTION AS AFFECTING CIVILISED NATIONS. 5,600 words
  29. CHAPTER VI. ON THE AFFINITIES AND GENEALOGY OF MAN. 4,300 words
  30. ON THE BIRTHPLACE AND ANTIQUITY OF MAN. 700 words
  31. LOWER STAGES IN THE GENEALOGY OF MAN. 3,100 words
  32. —CONCLUSION— 1,000 words
  33. CHAPTER VII. ON THE RACES OF MAN. 7,200 words
  34. ON THE EXTINCTION OF THE RACES OF MAN. 4,000 words
  35. ON THE FORMATION OF THE RACES OF MAN. 7,400 words
  36. CHAPTER VIII. PRINCIPLES OF SEXUAL SELECTION. 3,700 words
  37. NUMERICAL PROPORTION OF THE TWO SEXES. 800 words
  38. POLYGAMY. 1,900 words
  39. THE MALE GENERALLY MORE MODIFIED THAN THE FEMALE. 2,900 words
  40. LAWS OF INHERITANCE. 600 words
  41. INHERITANCE AT CORRESPONDING PERIODS OF LIFE. 400 words
  42. INHERITANCE AT CORRESPONDING SEASONS OF THE YEAR. 4,900 words
  43. A SUMMARY AND CONCLUDING REMARKS. 1,200 words
  44. MAN. 1,500 words
  45. HORSES. 300 words
  46. DOGS. 200 words
  47. SHEEP. 700 words
  48. BIRDS. 900 words
  49. FISH. 700 words
  50. INSECTS. 6,100 words
  51. THE SUB-KINGDOM OF THE MOLLUSCA. 1,100 words
  52. SUB-KINGDOM OF THE VERMES: CLASS, ANNELIDA (OR SEA-WORMS). 200 words
  53. SUB-KINGDOM OF THE ARTHROPODA: CLASS, CRUSTACEA. 2,300 words
  54. CLASS, ARACHNIDA (SPIDERS). 1,000 words
  55. CLASS, MYRIAPODA. 200 words
  56. CHAPTER X. SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS OF INSECTS. 1,500 words
  57. DIFFERENCE IN SIZE BETWEEN THE SEXES. 700 words
  58. ORDER, THYSANURA. 200 words
  59. ORDER, DIPTERA (FLIES). 400 words
  60. ORDER, HEMIPTERA (FIELD-BUGS). 300 words
  61. ORDER: HOMOPTERA. 600 words
  62. ORDER, ORTHOPTERA (CRICKETS AND GRASSHOPPERS). 2,000 words
  63. ORDER, NEUROPTERA. 800 words
  64. ORDER, HYMENOPTERA. 1,100 words
  65. ORDER, COLEOPTERA (BEETLES). 1,600 words
  66. LAW OF BATTLE. 600 words
  67. STRIDULATING ORGANS. 2,000 words
  68. CHAPTER XI. INSECTS, continued. ORDER LEPIDOPTERA. (BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS.) 3,300 words
  69. DISPLAY. 4,300 words
  70. MIMICRY. 800 words
  71. BRIGHT COLOURS OF CATERPILLARS. 800 words
  72. A SUMMARY AND CONCLUDING REMARKS ON INSECTS. 1,600 words
  73. CHAPTER XII. SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS OF FISHES, AMPHIBIANS, AND REPTILES. 6,200 words
  74. ANURA OR BATRACHIA. 700 words
  75. REPTILES. CHELONIA. 200 words
  76. CROCODILIA. 100 words
  77. OPHIDIA. 1,200 words
  78. LACERTILIA. 1,200 words
  79. CHAPTER XIII. SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS OF BIRDS. 700 words
  80. LAW OF BATTLE. 2,400 words
  81. VOCAL AND INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC. 3,900 words
  82. LOVE ANTICS AND DANCES. 700 words
  83. DECORATION. 4,000 words
  84. DISPLAY BY MALE BIRDS OF THEIR PLUMAGE. 2,800 words
  85. CHAPTER XIV. BIRDS—continued. 300 words
  86. LENGTH OF COURTSHIP. 900 words
  87. UNPAIRED BIRDS. 3,500 words
  88. PREFERENCE FOR A PARTICULAR MALES BY THE FEMALES. 7,100 words
  89. GRADATION OF SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS. 1,000 words
  90. ARGUS PHEASANT. 3,500 words
  91. CHAPTER XV. BIRDS—continued. 8,400 words
  92. CHAPTER XVI. BIRDS—concluded. 1,200 words
  93. RULES OR CLASSES OF CASES. 14,400 words
  94. A SUMMARY OF THE FOUR CHAPTERS ON BIRDS. 1,800 words
  95. CHAPTER XVII. SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS OF MAMMALS. 8,300 words
  96. CHOICE IN PAIRING BY EITHER SEX OF QUADRUPEDS. 1,600 words
  97. CHAPTER XVIII. SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS OF MAMMALS—continued. 1,400 words
  98. ODOUR. 900 words
  99. DEVELOPMENT OF THE HAIR. 4,200 words
  100. EQUAL TRANSMISSION OF ORNAMENTAL CHARACTERS TO BOTH SEXES. 2,400 words
  101. QUADRUMANA. 600 words
  102. A SUMMARY. 700 words
  103. CHAPTER XIX. SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS OF MAN. 2,200 words
  104. LAW OF BATTLE. 2,000 words
  105. VOICE AND MUSICAL POWERS. 8,600 words
  106. CHAPTER XX. SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS OF MAN—continued. 3,000 words
  107. INFANTICIDE. 800 words
  108. EARLY BETROTHALS AND SLAVERY OF WOMEN. 5,000 words
  109. COLOUR OF THE SKIN. 400 words
  110. A SUMMARY. 600 words
  111. CHAPTER XXI. GENERAL A SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION. 38,300 words

Ideas discussed in this book

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