The Wallace-Darwin Correspondence 



With respect to the decapitated frog/ I have always 

 heard of Pfluger as a most trustworthy observer. If, 

 indeed, anyone knows a frog's habits so well as to say 

 that it never rubs off a bit of leaf or other object, which 

 may stick to its thigh, in the same manner as it did the 

 acid, your objection would be valid. Some of Flourens' 

 experiments, in which he removed the cerebral hemisphere 

 from a pigeon, indicate that acts apparently performed 

 consciously can be done without consciousness — ^I presume 

 through the force of habit; in which case it would appear 

 that intellectual power is not brought into play. Several 

 persons have made such suggestions and objections as yours 

 about the hands being held up in astonishment : ^ if there 

 w^as any straining of the muscles, as with protruded 

 arms under fright, I would agree : as it is I must keep 

 to my old opinion, and I daresay you w^ill say that I am 

 an obstinate old blockhead.— -My dear Wallace, yours very 

 sincerely. Oh. Darwin. 



The book has sold wonderfully; 9,000 copies have now 

 been printed. 



The Dell, Grays, Essex. Wednesday morning, [November, 1873]. 



Dear Darwin, — Yours just received. Pray act exactly 

 as if nothing had been said to me on the subject. I do 

 not particularly ivisli for the work,^ as, besides being as 



1 Wallace speaks of " a readiness to accept the most marvellous conclusions 

 or interpretations of physiologists on what seem very insufficient grounds," 

 and he goes on to assert that the frog experiment is either incorrectly recorded, or 

 else that it " demonstrates volition, and not reflex action." 



* The raising of the hands in surprise is explained (" Expression of the 

 Emotions," 1st Edit., p. 287) on the doctrine of antithesis as being the opposite 

 of listlessness. Mr. Wallace's view (given in the second edition of " Expression 

 of the Emotions," p. 300) is that the gesture is appropriate to sudden defence 

 or to the giving of aid to another person. 



» At this time Darwin, while very busy with other work, had to prepare a 

 second edition of ** The Descent of Man," and it is probable that he or the pub- 

 lishers suggested that Wallace should make the necessary corrections, — Editor. 



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