38 SCIENTIFIC WOKK, 1860-1865 



principle wholly independent of physical conditions but 

 whose effects on the race are absolutely dependent on 

 physical conditions for their conservation. 



Huxley is rather disposed to think you have overlooked 

 f Saltus, 1 but I am not sure that he is right. Saltus quoad 

 individual, is not saltus quoad species, as I pointed out in 

 the Begonia case, though perhaps that was rather special 

 pleading in the present state of science. 



The exchange of letters continued while Hooker paid a 

 few days' visit to a big country house. Observation of the 

 life there led to an effusion on High Life by ' the future author 

 of " Aristocracy " or " Darwin in all in all." 



Kew : Sunday (March 20, 1862). 



MY DEAR DARWIN, I returned last night and found 

 Bates' letters which I send herewith, I have no time to com- 

 pare them. I hope I have not abused you unmercifully in 

 my letter to Bates you must take your chance ! 



I had a very profitable stay at X , considering all 



things, and came away with food for much reflection. I 

 could not make up my mind to stay over Sunday though 

 kindly pressed with real English hospitality. Some of the 

 family are very nice, all the ladies particularly so, the servants 

 perfection (such Nat. selection of flunkies), the food good 

 and plenty, the country beautiful the weather detestable 

 and the habits and hours of the house quite intolerable. 

 It would take a letter from you every morning to have sup- 

 ported me under such a system of killing time and outraging 

 the stomach. However it does one good to go to such 

 places rarely, gives one much food for reflection, and will add 

 a chapter to my posthumous work ' On the principles which 

 regulate the development of an aristocracy.' The principal 

 part of this work will consist of 4 chapters, each headed 

 with a B, viz. Blood, Blunt, Brains, Beauty. These are 

 all good things, of use to the organism possessing them, 

 and hence sought after by all human organisms, and their 

 accumulation, by natural selection, must culminate in an 

 aristocracy, or there is no truth in Darwinism. The better 

 these are blended, the better will be your aristocracy, the 

 more they are separated the worse, and it is hard to say 

 which is worst per se, or which is best when all are mixed. 



