i859— 1863] G. II. K. TIIWAITES 145 



structures to quite unknown laws of growth; and mere Letter 97 

 repetition of parts is to our eyes one main element of beauty. 

 When any structure is of use (and I can show what curiously 

 minute particulars are often of highest use), I can see with my 

 prejudiced eyes no limit to the perfection of the coadaptations 

 which could be effected by Natural Selection. I rather doubt 

 whether you see how far, as it seems to me, the argument for 

 homology and embryology may be carried. I do not look at 

 this as mere analogy. I would as soon believe that fossil shells 

 were mere mockeries of real shells as that the same bones in 

 the foot of a dog and wing of a bat, or the similar embryo of 

 mammal and bird, had not a direct signification, and that the 

 signification can be unity of descent or nothing. Rut I venture 

 to repeat how much pleased I am that you go some little way 

 with me. I find a number of naturalists do the same, and as 

 their halting-places are various, and I must think arbitrary, 

 I believe they will all go further. As for changing at once 

 one's opinion, I would not value the opinion of a man who 

 could do so ; it must be a slow process. 1 Thank you for 

 telling me about the Lantana 2 and I should at any time be most 

 grateful for any information which you think would be of use 

 to me. I hope that you will publish a list of all naturalised 

 plants in Ceylon, as far as known, carefully distinguishing 

 those confined to cultivated soils alone. I feel sure that 

 this most important subject has been greatly undervalued. 



To T. H. Huxley. Letter 9 s 



The reference here is to the review on the Origin of Species 



generally believed to be by the late Sir R. Owen, and published in the 



April number of the Edinburgh Review, i860. Owen's biographer is 



silent on the subject, and prints, without comment, the following passage 



1 Darwin wrote to Woodward in regard to the Origin : "It may be a 

 vain and silly thing to say, but I believe my book must be read twice 

 carefully to be fully understood. You will perhaps think it by no means 

 worth the labour." 



2 An exotic species of Lantana (Verbenacea:) grows vigorously in 

 Ceylon, and is described as frequently making its appearance after the 

 firing of the low-country forests (see H. H. W. Pearson, "The Botany 

 of the Ceylon Patanas," Journ. Linn. Soc, Vol. XXXIV., p. 317, 1899). 

 No doubt Thwaites' letter to Darwin referred to the spreading of the 

 introduced Lantana, comparable to that of the cardoon in La Plata and 

 of other plants mentioned by Darwin in the Origin of Species (Ed. VI., 

 p. 51). 



10 



