4 o6 MISCELLANEA. [1876 



criticisms, except that I think you ought to have introduced 

 Murchison as a great classifier of formations, second only to 

 W. Smith. You have done full justice, and not more than 

 justice, to our dear old master, Lyell. Perhaps a little more 

 ought to have been said about botany, and if you should ever 

 add this, you would find Sachs' ' History,' lately published, 

 very good for your purpose. 



You have crowned Wallace and myself with much honour 

 and glory. I heartily congratulate you on having produced 

 so novel and interesting a work, and remain, 



My dear Miss Buckley, yours very faithfully, 



CH. DARWIN. 



C. Darwin to A. R. Wallace. 



[Hopedene] *, June 5, 1876. 



MY DEAR WALLACE, I must have the pleasure of ex- 

 pressing to you my unbounded admiration of your book,f 

 tho' I have read only to page 184 my object having been to 

 do as little as possible while resting I feel sure that you 

 have laid a broad and safe foundation for all future wcrk on 

 Distribution. How interesting it will be to see hereafter 

 plants treated in strict relation to your views ; and then all 

 insects, pulmonate molluscs and fresh-water fishes, in greater 

 detail than I suppose you have given to these lower animals. 

 The point which has interested me most, but I do not say the 

 most valuable point, is your protest against sinking imaginary 

 continents in a quite reckless manner, as was stated by Forbes, 

 followed, alas, by Hooker, and caricatured by Wollaston and 

 [Andrew] Murray ! By the way, the main impression that 

 the latter author has left on my mind is his utter want of all 

 scientific judgment. I have lifted up my voice against the 

 above view with no avail, but I have no doubt that you will 

 succeed, owing to your new arguments and the coloured 

 chart. Of a special value, as it seems to me, is the conclusion 



* Mr. Hensleigh Wedgwood's house in Surrey, 

 f ' Geographical Distribution/ 1876. 



