i866.] PANGENESIS. 229 



are laughably like mine. It is surprising how candid it 

 makes one to see one's views in another man's words. I am 

 rather ashamed of the whole affair, but not converted to a 

 no-belief. What a kindness you have done me with your 

 "vulpine sharpness." Nevertheless, there is a fundamental 

 distinction between Buffon's views and mine. He does not 

 suppose that each cell or atom of tissue throws off a little 

 bud ; but he supposes that the sap or blood includes his " or- 

 ganic molecules," which are ready formed^ fit to nourish each 

 organ, and when this is fully formed, they collect to form 

 buds and the sexual elements. It is all rubbish to speculate 

 as I have done ; yet, if I ever have strength to publish my 

 next book, I fear I shall not resist " Pangenesis," but I assure 

 you I will put it humbly enough. The ordinary course of 

 development of beings, such as the Echinodermata, in which 

 new organs are formed at quite remote spots from the analo- 

 gous previous parts, seem to me extremely difficult to recon- 

 cile on any view except the free diffusion in the parent of 

 the germs or gemmules of each separate new organ ; and so 

 in cases of alternate generation. But I will not scribble any 

 more. Hearty thanks to you, you best of critics and most 

 learned man 



* 



[The' letters now take up the history of the year 1866.] 



C. Darwin to A. R. Wallace. 



Down, July 5 [1866]. 



My dear Wallace, — I have been much interested by 

 your letter, which is as clear as daylight. I fully agree with 

 all that you say on the advantages of H. Spencer's excellent 

 expression of "the survival of the fittest." * This, however, 



* Extract from a letter of Mr. Wallace's, July 2, 1866: "The term 

 ' survival of the fittest' is the plain expression of the fact ; 'natural selec- 

 tion' is a metaphorical expression of it, and to a certain degree indirect 

 and incorrect, since . . . Nature . . . does not so much select special 

 varieties as exterminate the most unfavourable ones." ' 



