2 9 g WORK ON ' MAN: [1869. 



heaven, I have finished correcting the new edition of the 

 Origin,' and am at my old work of Sexual Selection. 



Wallace's article struck me as admirable ; how well he 

 brought out the revolution which you effected some 30 years 

 ago. I thought I had fully appreciated the revolution, but I 

 was astounded at the extracts from Cuvier. What a good 

 sketch of natural selection ! but I was dreadfully disappointed 

 about Man, it seems to me incredibly strange . . . ; and had 

 I not known to the contrary, would have sworn it had been 

 inserted by some other hand. But I believe that you will 

 not agree quite in all this. 



My dear Lyell, ever yours sincerely, 



C. DARWIN. 



C. Darwin to J. L. A. de Quatrefages. 



Down, May 28 [1869 or 1870]. 



DEAR SIR, I have received and read your volume,* and 

 am much obliged for your present. The whole strikes me as 

 a wonderfully clear and able discussion, and I was much 

 interested by it to the last page. It is impossible that any 

 account of my views could be fairer, or, as far as space per- 

 mitted, fuller, than that which you have given. The way in 

 which you repeatedly mention my name is most gratifying to 

 me. When I had finished the second part, I thought that 

 you had stated the case so favourably that you would make 

 more converts on my side than on your own side. On read- 

 ing the subsequent parts I had to change my sanguine view. 

 In these latter parts many of your strictures are severe 

 enough, but all are given with perfect courtesy and fairness. 

 I can truly say I would rather be criticised by you in this 

 manner than praised by many others. I agree with some of 

 your criticisms, but differ entirely from the remainder ; but I 

 will not trouble you with any remarks. I may, however, say, 

 that you must have been deceived by the French translation, 



* Essays reprinted from the ' Revue des Deux Mondes,' under the title 

 1 Histoire Naturelle Generale,' &c., 1869. 



