LETTERS OF CHARLES DARWIN. 395 



for himself, but you would not say interest was dying out if you were 

 to look at the last number of the Anthropological Review, in which I 

 am incessantly sneered at. I think Lyell's Principles will produce 

 a considerable effect. I hope I have given you the sort of information 

 which you want. My head is rather unsteady, which makes my hand- 

 writing worse than usual. 



If you argue about the non-acceptance of Natural Selection, it 

 seems to me a very striking fact that the Newtonian theory of gravi- 

 tation, which seems to every one now so certain and plain, was rejected 

 by a man so extraordinarily able as Leibnitz. The truth will not 

 penetrate a preoccupied mind. 



Wallace, in the Westminster Review, in an article on Protection 

 has a good passage, contrasting the success of Natural Selection and 

 its growth with the comprehension of new classes of facts, with false 

 theories, such as the Quinarian Theory, and that of Polarity, by poor 

 Forbes, both of which were promulgated with high advantages and the 

 first temporarily accepted. 



To C. Lyell. 



15, Marine Parade, Eastbourne, Oct. 3rd [I860]. 



Your last letter has interested me much in many ways. 



I enclose a letter of Wyman's which touches on brains. Wyman is 

 mistaken in supposing that I did not know that the Cave-rat was an 

 American form; I made special enquiries. He does not know that the 

 eye of the Tucutuco was carefully dissected. 



With respect to reviews by A. Gray. I thought of sending the 

 Dialogue to the Saturday Review in a week's time or so, as they have 

 lately discussed Design. I have sent the second, or August, Atlantic 

 article to the Annals and Mag. of Nat. History. The copy which you 

 have I want to send to Pictet, as I told A. Gray I would, thinking 

 from what he said he would like this to be done. I doubt whether 

 it would be possible to get the October number reprinted in this 

 country; so that I am in no hurry at all for this. 



I had a letter a few weeks ago from Symonds on the imperfection 

 of the Geological Eecord, less clear and forcible than I expected. I 

 answered him at length and very civilly, though I could hardly make 

 out what he was driving at. He spoke about you in a way which it 

 did me good to read. 



I am extremely glad that you like A. Gray's reviews. How gen- 

 erous and unselfish he has been in all his labour ! Are you not struck 

 by his metaphors and similes? I have told him he is a poet and not 

 a lawyer. 



I should altogether doubt on turtles being converted into land tor- 

 toises on any one island. Eemember how closely similar tortoises are 



