I have heard, by roundabout channel, that Herschel says my book [The Origin of the Species] "is the law of higgledy-piggledy." What this exactly means I do not know, but it is evidently very contemptuous. If true this is a great blow and discouragement.

In: Francis Darwin (ed.), The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin - Letter to C. Lyell - December 12, 1859 (p. 37)