1864.] 



COPLEY MEDAL — PROF. KOLLIKER. 



29 



" In his most recent work ' On the Origin of Species,' although 

 opinions may be divided or undecided with respect to its 

 merits in some respects, all will allow that it contains a mass 

 of observations bearing upon the habits, structure, affinities, 

 and distribution of animals, perhaps unrivalled for interest, 

 minuteness, and patience of observation. Some amongst us 

 may perhaps incline to accept the theory indicated by the 

 title of this work, while others may perhaps incline to refuse, 

 or at least to remit it to a future time, when increased know- 

 ledge shall afford stronger grounds for its ultimate acceptance 

 or rejection. Speaking generally and collectively, we have 

 expressly omitted it from the grounds of our award." 



I believe I am right in saying that no little dissatisfaction 

 at the President's manner of allusion to the ' Origin ' was 

 felt by some Fellows of the Society. 



The presentation of the Copley Medal is of interest in 

 another way, inasmuch as it led to Sir C. Lyell making, in 

 his after-dinner speech, a "confession of faith as to the 

 ' Origin. 5 " He wrote to my father (' Life,' vol. ii. p. 384), " I 

 said I had been forced to give up my old faith without 

 thoroughly seeing my way to a new one. But I think you 

 would have been satisfied with the length I went."] 



C. Darwin to T. H. Huxley. 



Down, Oct. 3 [1864]. 



MY DEAR HUXLEY, — If I do not pour out my admiration 

 of your article * on Kolliker, I shall explode. I never read 



* "Criticisms on the Origin of 

 Species," ' Nat. Hist. Review,' 1864. 

 Republished in ' Lay Sermons,' 

 1870, p. 328. The work of Professor 

 Kolliker referred to is ' Ueber die 

 Darwin'sche Schopfungstheorie ' 

 (Leipzig, 1864). Toward Professor 

 Kolliker my father felt not only the 



respect due to so distinguished a 

 naturalist (a sentiment well ex- 

 pressed in Professor Huxley's re- 

 view), but he had also a personal 

 regard for him, and often alluded 

 with satisfaction to the visit which 

 Professor Kolliker paid at Down. 



