The Wallace-Darwin Correspondence 



increase your high reputation and be immensely success- 

 ful, as it deserves to be, believe me, dear Darwin, yours 

 very faithfully, Alfred R. Wallace. 



Down, Beckenham, Kent, S.E. January 30, 1871. 



My dear Wallace, — Your note has given me very great 

 pleasure, chiefly because I was so anxious not to treat you 

 with the least disrespect, and it is so difficult to speak 

 fairly when differing from anyone. If I had offended you, 

 it would have grieved me more than you will readily 

 believe. Secondly, I am greatly pleased to hear that Vol. 

 I. interests you; I have got so sick of the w^hole subject 

 that I felt in utter doubt about the value of any part. I 

 intended when speaking of the female not having been 

 specially modified for protection to include the prevention 

 of characters acquired by the (J being transmitted to the 

 $; but I now see it would have been better to have said 

 '^ specially acted on,'^ or some such term. Possibly my 

 intention may be clearer in Vol. II. Let me say that my 

 conclusions are chiefly founded on a consideration of all 

 animals taken in a body, bearing in mind how common 

 the rules of sexual differences appear to be in all classes. 

 The first copy of the chapter on Lepidoptera agreed 

 pretty closely with you. I then w^orked on, came back 

 to Lepidoptera, and thought myself compelled to alter it, 

 finished sexual selection, and for the last time went over 

 Lepidoptera, and again I felt forced to alter it. 



I hope to God there will be nothing disagreeable to you 

 in Vol. II., and that I have spoken fairly of your views. I 

 feel the more fearful on this head, because I have just read 

 (but not with sufficient care) Mivart's book,' and I feel 

 absolutely certain that he meant to be fair (but he was 

 stimulated by theological fervour) ; yet I do not think he 



1 "The Genesis of Species," by St. G. Mivart. 1871. 

 R 257 



