92 MAN [Chap. VIII 



Letter 456 had occurred to me, and you will see in my book what, I 

 believe, is the true explanation from Wallace. The same 

 view probably applies in part to gaudy butterflies. My MS. 

 is sent to the printers, and, I suppose, will be published in 

 about three months : of course I will send you a copy. By 

 the way, I settled with Murray recently with respect to 

 your book, 1 and had to pay him only £21 2s. $d., which 

 I consider a very small price for the dissemination of your 

 views ; he has 547 copies as yet unsold. This most terrible 

 war will stop all science in France and Germany for a long 

 time. I have heard from nobody in Germany, and know 

 not whether your brother, Hackel, Gegenbaur, Victor Carus, 

 or my other friends are serving in the army, Dohrn has 

 joined a cavalry regiment. I have not yet met a soul in 

 England who does not rejoice in the splendid triumph of 

 Germany over France: 2 it is a most just retribution against 

 that vainglorious, war-liking nation. As the posts are all 

 in confusion, I will not send this letter through France. 

 The Editor has sent me duplicate copies of the Revue des 

 Cours S cientifiques , which contain several articles about my 

 views ; so I send you copies for the chance of your liking 

 to see them. 



Letter 457 A. R. Wallace to C. Darwin. 



Holly House, Barking, E., Jan. 27th, 187 1. 



Many thanks for your first volume, 3 which I have just 

 finished reading through with the greatest pleasure and 

 interest ; and I have also to thank you for the great tender- 

 ness with which you have treated me and my heresies. 



On the subject of " sexual selection " and " protection," 

 you do not yet convince me that I am wrong ; but I expect 

 your heaviest artillery will be brought up in your second 

 volume, and I may have to capitulate. You seem, however, 

 to have somewhat misunderstood my exact meaning, and 

 I do not think the difference between us is quite so great 

 as you seem to think it. There are a number of passages 

 in which you argue against the view that the female has 

 in any large number of cases been "specially modified" for 



1 The translation of Fur Darwin, published 1869. 

 ■ See Letter 239, Vol. I. 

 3 The Descent of Man. 



