1866/j PANGENESIS. 229 



are laughably like mine. It is surprising how candid it 

 makes one to see one's views in another man's words. I am 

 rather ashamed of the whole affair, but not converted to a 

 no-belief. What a kindness you have done me with your 

 " vulpine sharpness." Nevertheless, there is a fundamental 

 distinction between Buffon's views and mine. He does not 

 suppose that each cell or atom of tissue throws off a little 

 bud ; but he supposes that the sap or blood includes his " or- 

 ganic molecules," which are ready formed, fit to nourish each 

 organ, and when this is fully formed, they collect to form 

 buds and the sexual elements. It is all rubbish to speculate 

 as I have done ; yet, if I ever have strength to publish my 

 next book, I fear I shall not resist " Pangenesis," but I assure 

 you I will put it humbly enough. The ordinary course of 

 development of beings, such as the Echinodermata, in which 

 new organs are formed at quite remote spots from the analo- 

 gous previous parts, seem to me extremely difficult to recon- 

 cile on any view except the free diffusion in the parent of 

 the germs or gemmules of each separate new organ ; and so 

 in cases of alternate generation. But I will not scribble any 

 more. Hearty thanks to you, you best of critics and most 

 learned man 



[The letters now take up the history of the year i866.J 



C. Darwin to A. R. Wallace. 



Down, July 5 [1866]. 



MY DEAR WALLACE, I have been much interested by 

 your letter, which is as clear as daylight. I fully agree with 

 all that you say on the advantages of H. Spencer's excellent 

 expression of "the survival of the fittest."* This, however, 



* Extract from a letter of Mr. Wallace's, July 2, 1866 : " The term 

 1 survival of the fittest ' is the plain expression of the fact ; ' natural selec- 

 tion' is a metaphorical expression of it, and to a certain degree indirect 

 and incorrect, since . . . Nature . . . does not so much select special 

 varieties as exterminate the most unfavourable ones." 



