The Wallace-Darwin Correspondence 



Holly House, Barking, E. July 6, 1870. 



Dear Darwin, — Many thanks for the drawing. I must 

 say, however, the resemblance to a snake is not very 

 striking, unless to a cobra not found in America. It is 

 also evident that it is not Mr. Bates's caterpillar, as that 

 threw the head backwards so as to show the feet above, 

 forming imitations of keeled scales. 



Clapar^de has sent me his critique on my book. You 

 will probably have it too. His arguments in reply to my 

 heresy seem to me of the weakest. I hear you have gone 

 to press, and I look forward with fear and trembling to 

 being crushed under a mountain of facts! 



I hear you were in town the other day. When you are 

 again, I should be glad to come at any convenient hour and 

 give you a call. 



Hoping your health is improving, and with kind remem- 

 brances to Mrs. Darwin and all your family, believe me 

 yours very faithfully, Alfred R. Wallach. 



In **My Life" (Vol. II., p. 7) Wallace wrote: " Ib 

 the year 1870 Mr. A. W. Bennett read a paper before 

 Section D of the British Association at Liverpool entitled 

 * The Theory of Natural Selection from a Mathematical 

 Point of View,' and this paper was printed in full in 

 Nature of November 10, 1870. To this I replied on 

 November 17, and my reply so pleased Mr. Darwin that 

 he at once wrote to me as follows :'' 



Doum, Beckenham, Kent, S.E. November 22, 1870. 



My dear Wallace, — I must ease myself by writing a few 

 words to say how much I and all others in this house admire 

 your article in Nature. You are certainly an unparalleled 

 master in lucidly stating a case and in arguing. Nothing 

 ever was better done than your argument about the term 



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