1 860.] 



TICTET. SEDGWICK 



297 



review, namely, an opposed one (by Pictet,* the palaeontologist, 

 in the Bib. Universelle of Geneva) which is perfectly fair and 

 just, and I agree to every word he says; our only difference 

 being that he attaches less weight to arguments in favour, 

 and more to arguments opposed, than I do. Of all the op- 

 posed reviews, I think this the only quite fair one, and I never 

 expected to see one. Please observe that I do not class your 

 review by any means as opposed, though you think so your- 

 self ! It has done me muck too good service ever to appear 

 in that rank in my eyes. But I fear I shall weary you with 

 so much about my book. I should rather think there was a 

 good chance of my becoming the most egotistical man in all 

 Europe ! What a proud pre-eminence ! Well, you have 

 helped to make me so, and therefore you must forgive me if 

 you can. 



My dear Gray, ever yours most gratefully, 



C. Darwin. 



[In a letter to Sir Charles Lyell reference is made to 

 Sedgwick's review in the Spectator, March 24 : 



" I now feel certain that Sedgwick is the author of the 

 article in the Spectator. No one else could use such abusive 

 terms. And what a misrepresentation of my notions ! Any 

 ignoramus would suppose that I had first broached the 



* Frangois Jules Pictet, in the 

 ' Archives des Sciences de la Bib- 

 liotheque Universelle,' Mars i860. 

 The article is written in a courteous 

 and considerate tone, and con- 

 cludes by saying that the ' Origin ' 

 will be of real value to naturalists, 

 especially if they are not led away 

 by its seductive arguments to be- 

 lieve in the dangerous doctrine of 

 modification. A passage which 

 seems to have struck my father as 

 being valuable, and opposite which 

 he has made double pencil marks 



and written the word " good," is 

 worth quoting : " La theorie de 

 M. Darwin s'accorde mal avec 

 l'histoire des types a formes bien 

 tranchees et definies qui paraissent 

 n'avoir vecu que pendant un temps 

 limite. On en pourrait citer des 

 centaines d'exemples, tel que les 

 reptiles volants, les ichthyosaures, 

 les belemnites, les ammonites, &c." 

 Pictet was born in 1809, died 1872 ; 

 he was Professor of Anatomy and 

 Zoology at Geneva. 



