Cu. XL] 1858—1859. 191 



on all the laws of variation, — on the genealogy of all living 

 beings, — on their lines of migration, &c. &c. Pray thank 

 Mrs. Hooker for her very kind little note, and pray say how 

 truly obliged I am, and in truth ashamed to think that she 

 should have had the trouble of copying my ugly MS. It was 

 extraordinarily kind in her. Farewell, my dear kind friend. 



Yours affectionately. 



P.S. — I have had some fun here in watching a slave-making 

 ant ; for I could not help rather doubting the wonderful 

 stories, but I have now seen a defeated marauding party, and 

 I have seen a migration from one nest to another of the slave- 

 makers, carrying their slaves (who are house, and not field 

 niggers) in their mouths ! 



C. D. to C. Lyell. King's Head Hotel, Sandown, Isle of 

 Wight. July 18th [1858]. 



. . . We are established hero for ten days, and then go on to 

 Shanklin, which seems more amusing to one, like myself, who 

 cannot walk. We hope much that the sea may do H. and L. 

 good. And if it does, our expedition will answer, but not 

 otherwise. 



I have never half thanked you for all the extraordinary 

 trouble and kindness you showed me about Wallace's affair. 

 Hooker told me what was done at the Linnean Society, and I 

 am far more than satisfied, and I do not think that Wallace 

 can think my conduct unfair in allowing you and Hooker to do 

 whatever you thought fair. I certainly was a little annoyed 

 to lose all priority, but had resigned myself to my fate. I am 

 going to prepare a longer abstract ; but it is really impossible 

 to do justice to the subject, except by giving the facts on 

 which each conclusion is grounded, and that will, of course, be 

 absolutely impossible. Your name and Hooker's name ap- 

 pearing as in any way the least interested in my work will, I 

 am certain, have the most important bearing in leading people 

 to consider the subject without prejudice. I look at this as so 

 very important, that I am almost glad of Wallace's paper for 

 having led to this. 



My dear Lyell, yours most gratefully. 



The following letter refers to the proof-sheets of the 

 Linnean paper. The ' introduction ' moans the prefatory 

 letter signed by Sir C. Lyell and Sir J. D. Hooker. 



