The Wallace-Darwin Correspondence 



to have acquired a prepotency on another individual's 

 stigma over that of the same individual, without the ex- 

 traordinary complication of three differences of structure 

 and eighteen different unions with varying degrees of 

 sterility ! 



However, the fact remains an excellent answer to the 

 statement that sterility of hybrids proves the absolute dis- 

 tinctness of the parents. 



I have been reading with great pleasure Mr. Bentham's 

 last admirable address,* in which he so well replies to the 

 gross misstatements of the Athenwum; and also says a 

 word in favour of pangenesis. I think we may now con- 

 gratulate you on having made a valuable convert, whose 

 opinions on the subject, coming so late and being evidently 

 so well considered, will have much weight. 



I am going to Norwich on Tuesday to hear Dr. Hooker, 

 who I hope will boldly promulgate ^* Darwinianism *Mn his 

 address. Shall we have the pleasure of seeing you there ? 



I am engaged in negotiations about my book. 



Hoping you are well and getting on with your next 

 volumes, believe me yours very faithfully, 



Alfred R. Wallace. 



Freshwater, Isle of Wight. August 19, 1868. 



My dear Wallace, — Thanks for your note. I did some- 

 times think of going to Norwich, for I should have very 

 much liked it, but it has been quite out of the question. 

 We have been here for five weeks for a change, and it has 

 done me some little good; but I have been forced to live 

 the life of a drone, and for a month before leaving home 

 I was unable to do anything and had to stop all work. 



We return to Down to-morrow. 



Hooker has been here for two or three days, so that I 



1 Proc. Linn. Soc, 1867-8, p. 57. 

 219 



