Alfred Russel Wallace 



thinnings out of almost any kind of hardy plants they 

 would be welcome, as I have near four acres of ground in 

 which I want to substitute ornamental plants for weeds. 



With best wishes, and hoping you may have health and 

 strength to go on with your great work, believe me, dear 

 Darwin, yours very faithfully, j^,^^^^^ ^ Wallace. 



My review will appear next Wednesday. 



Down, Beckenham, Kent, S.E. March 16, 1871. 



My dear Wallace, — I have just read your grand review.' 

 It is in every way as kindly expressed towards myself as 

 it is excellent in matter. The Lyells have been here, and 

 Sir C. remarked that no one wrote such good scientific 

 reviews as you, and, as Miss Buckley added, you delight 

 in picking out all that is good, though very far from blind 

 to the bad. In all this I most entirely agree. I shall always 

 consider your review as a great honour, and however much 

 my book may hereafter be abused, as no doubt it will be, your 

 review will console me, notwithstanding that we differ so 

 greatly. 



I will keep your objections to my views in my mind, but 

 I fear that the latter are almost stereotyped in my mind. 

 I thought for long wrecks about the inheritance and selec- 

 tion difficulty, and covered quires of paper with notes, in 

 trying to get out of it, but could not, though clearly see- 

 ing that it would be a great relief if I could. I will con- 

 fine myself to two or three remarks. I have been much 

 impressed with what you urge against colour* in the case 



» In the Academy, March 15, 1871. 



2 " Mr. Wallace saj^s that the pairing of butterflies is probably determined by 

 the fact that one male is stronger-winged or more pertinacious than the rest, 

 rather than by the choice of the females. He quotes the case of caterpillars 

 which are brightly coloured and yet sexless. Mr. Wallace also makes the good 

 criticism that * The Descent of Man ' consists of two books mixed together."— 

 " Life and Letters of Charles Darwin," iii. 137. 



260 



