Alfred Russel Wallace 



The reason of my being so much interested just at 

 present about sexual selection is that I have almost re- 

 solved to publish a little essay on the Origin of Mankind, 

 and I still strongly think (though I failed to convince you, 

 and this to me is the heaviest blow possible) that sexual 

 selection has been the main agent in forming the races of 

 man. 



By the way, there is another subject which I shall in- 

 troduce in my essay, viz. expression of countenance. Now, 

 do you happen to know by any odd chance a very good- 

 natured and acute observer in the Malay Archipelago who, 

 you think, would make a few easy observations for me on 

 the expression of the Malays when excited by various 

 emotions. For in this case I would send to such person a 

 list of queries. — I thank you for your most interesting 

 letters, and remain yours very sincerely, q^. Darwin. 



9 St. Mark's Crescent, N,W, March 11, 1867. 



Dear Darwin, — I return your queries, but cannot answer 

 them with any certainty. For the Malays I should say Yes 

 to 1, 3, 8, 9, 10 and 17, and No to 12, 13 and 16; but I 

 cannot be certain in any one. But do you think these 

 things are of much importance ? I am inclined to think 

 that if you could get good direct observations you would 

 find some of them often differ from tribe to tribe, from 

 island to island, and sometimes from village to village. 

 Some no doubt may be deep-seated, and would imply 

 organic differences; but can you tell beforehand which 

 these are ? I presume the Frenchman shrugs his shoulders 

 whether he is of the Norman, Breton, or Gaulish stock. 

 Would it not be a good thing to send your List of Queries 

 to some of the Bombay and Calcutta papers ? as there must 

 be numbers of Indian judges and other officers who would 

 be interested and would send you hosts of replies. The 



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