A. Mestre : A. R. Wallace en la filosofía hiológica. 235 



trándose de las circunstancias que en ellos concurren, estima 

 el principio de utilidad, la relación entre el color y un abrigo 

 seguro, determinando las leyes de la mímica : agrupación orde- 

 nada, metódica, de hechos que expresan los lazos que los unen 

 con el concepto general de la supervivencia de los más aptos, 

 de la perpetuación de las razas favorecidas en la lucha por la 

 existencia; y advierte, como resultado de sus amplias investi- 

 gaciones, «que el grado ínfimo de variación de las especies, con- 

 siderado a veces como una cosa accidental, anormal, insignifi- 

 cante, para merecer nuestra atención, es, sin embargo, el fim- 

 damento de todas esas analogías sorprendentes y armoniosas 

 que juegan un gran papel en la economía de la naturaleza». En 

 cuanto a las opiniones de Wallace sobre el instinto, en otra oca- 

 sión y en este mismo sitio tuve oportunidad de exponerlas es- 

 tudiando la construcción de los nidos de las aves; entonces re- 

 fería como aquél admite que «las facultades mentales mani- 



to Bepart Indefinitely from the Original Type. This was written at Terna- 

 te in February, 1858, for the perusal of his friend and correspondant, 

 Mr. Darwin, and sent to liim whith the expressed wish that it should be 

 forwarded to Sir Charles Lyell, if Mr. Darwin thought it sufiñciently 

 novel and interesting. So highly did Mr. Darwin appreciate the valué 

 of the views therein set forth that he proposed, in a letter to Sir Charles 

 Lyell, to obtain Mr. Wallace 's cousent to allow the essay to be published 

 as soon as posible. Of this step we highly approved, provided Mr. Darwin 

 did not withhold from the public, as he was strongly inclined to do (in 

 favor of Mr. Wallace), the memoir Avhich he had himself written on the 

 same subject, and wliich, as before stated, one of us had perused, in 1844, 

 and the contents of which we had both of us been privy to for many 

 years. 



' ' On representing this to Mr. Darwin, he have us permission to make 

 what use we though proper of this memoir, etc. ; and in adopting our 

 present course, of presenting it to the Linnsean Society, we have explained 

 to him that we are not solely considering the relativo claims to priority 

 of himself and is frieud, but the interest of science generally; for we 

 feel it to be desirable that views founded on a wide deduction from facts, 

 and matured by years of refleeting, should constitute at once a goal from 

 which others may start; and that. while the scientific world is waiting 

 for the apperance of Mr. Darwin 's complet work, some of the leading 

 results of his labours, as well as those of his able correspondent, should 

 together be laid before the public. 



' ' We have the honour to be yours very obediently, 



Charles Lyell, 



Jos. D. HOOKEE. " 



