Alfred Russel Wallace 



not flatter yourself that I shall not yet live to finish the 

 barna-cles, and then make a fool of myself on the subject 

 of species, under which head ornamental poultry are very 

 interesting." 



Somewhere about this time (1842-44), Darwin, referring 

 to the idea of Natural Selection which arose in his mind after 

 reading Malthus on ^^ Population " four years earlier, con- 

 tinues : ^' But at that time I overlooked one problem of 

 great importance . . . the tendency in organic beings de- 

 scended from the same stock to diverge in character as 

 they become modified . . . and I can remember the very 

 spot in the road, whilst in my carriage, when to my joy 

 the solution occurred to me. . . . The solution, as I believe, 

 is that the modified offspring of all dominant and increas- 

 ing forms tend to become adapted to many and highly 

 diversified places in the economy of nature.''' 



So convinced was he of the truth of his ideas as ex- 

 pressed in the 1844 MS., that immediately after its com- 

 pletion he wrote the memorable letter to Mrs. Darwin 

 telling her what he would wish done regarding its publi- 

 cation in the event of his death. 



It was probably about two years later (1846) that he 

 first confided his completed work — up to that date — to 

 Sir Joseph Hooker, and later to Sir Charles Lyell; re- 

 fraining, however, except in general conversation with 

 other scientists, from informing anyone of the progress he 

 was making towards a positive solution of the problem. 

 His attitude of mind and manner at this period is happily 

 illustrated by Huxley, who, speaking of his early acquaint- 

 ance with Darwin, says : ^^ I remember in the course of my 

 first interview with Darwin expressing my belief in the 

 sharpness of the line of demarcation between natural groups 

 and in the absence of transitional forms, with all the con- 



> " Life of Charles Darwin," (one-vol. Edit.), p. 40. 

 404 



