The Discovery of Natural Selection 



fidence of youth and imperfect knowledge. I was not 

 aware, at that time, that he had then been many years 

 brooding over the Species question; and the humorous 

 smile which accompanied his gentle answer, that such was 

 not altogether his view, long haunted and puzzled me." 



Little did Charles Darwin dream that, only three years 

 after this first MS. was written (in 1844), a youthful 

 naturalist — known only as a surveyor at Neath — was de- 

 liberately pondering over the same issue, and writing to 

 his only scientific friend on the subject. As, however, the 

 different methods of thought by which they arrived at the 

 same conclusion is so aptly related by Wallace himself, we 

 will leave it for him to tell the story in its appointed place.' 



In 1856, the year following the appearance of Wallace's 

 essay in the Annals and Magazine of Natural History, both 

 Hooker and Lyell urged Darwin to publish the result of his 

 long and patient rcvsearch. But he was still reluctant to 

 do so, not having as yet satisfied himself with regard to 

 certain conclusions which, he felt, must be stoutly main- 

 tained in face of the enormous amount of criticism which 

 would arise immediately his theory was launched on the 

 scientific world. And thus the event was postponed until 

 the memorable year 1858. 



Up to the year 1856 no correspondence had passed between 

 Wallace and Darwin, so far, at least, as the former could 

 remember, for he says, in a letter dated Frith Hill, Godal- 

 ming, December 3, 1887 (written to Mr. A. Newton) : '* I 

 had hardly heard of Darwin before going to the East, 

 except as connected with the voyage of the Beagle, ... I 

 saw him once for a few minutes in the British Museum 

 before I sailed. Through Stevens, my agent, I heard that 

 he wanted curious varieties which he was studying. I 

 think I wrote about some varieties of ducks I had sent, 



1 See posU p. 112. 



105 



