18461878] MISCELLANEOUS 231 



not lots of good young chemists and astronomers or physicists ? Letter 564 

 Fitton is the only old geologist left who has done good work, 

 except Sedgwick. Have you thought of him ? He would 

 be a brilliant companion for Lindley. Only it would never 

 do to give Lyell a Copley and Sedgwick a Royal in the 

 same year. It seems wrong that there should be three 

 Natural Science medals in the same year. Lindley, Sedgwick, 

 and Bunsen sounds well, and Lyell next year for the Copley. L 

 You will see that I am speculating as a mere idle amateur. 



To S. P. Woodward. 2 Letter 565 



Down, May 27th [1856]. 



I am very much obliged to you for having taken the 

 trouble to answer my query so fully. I can now be at rest, 

 for from what you say and from what little I remember 

 Forbes said, my point is unanswerable. The case of Tere- 

 bratula is to the point as far as it goes, and is negative. I 

 have already attempted to get a solution through geographical 

 distribution by Dr. Hooker's means, and he finds that the same 

 genera which have very variable species in Europe have other 

 very variable species elsewhere. This seems the general rule, 

 but with some few exceptions. I see from the several reasons 

 which you assign, that there is no hope of comparing the 

 same genus at two different periods, and seeing whether the 

 tendency to vary is greater at one period in such genus than 

 at another period. The variability of certain genera or groups 

 of species strikes me as a very odd fact. 3 



I shall have no points, as far as I can remember, to suggest 

 for your reconsideration, but only some on which I shall 

 have to beg for a little further information. However, I feel 

 inclined very much to dispute your doctrine of islands being 

 generally ancient in comparison, I presume, with continents. 

 I imagine you think that islands are generally remnants of 

 old continents, a doctrine which I feel strongly disposed to 

 doubt. I believe them generally rising points ; you, it seems, 

 think them sinking points. 



1 In 1857 a Royal medal was awarded to John Lindley ; Lyell received 

 the Copley in 1858, and Bunsen in 1860. 



2 See Letter 50, Vol. I. 



3 The late Dr. Neumayr has dealt, to some extent, with this subject 

 in Die Stdmme des Thierreichs, Vol. L, Wien, 1889. 



