Alfred Russel Wallace 



but they will show that I had the will, though I did not 

 know the way, to do what you wanted. 



I have said nothing on the infinitely many passages and 

 views which I admired and which were new to me. My 

 notes are badly expressed; but I thought that you would 

 excuse my taking any pains with my style. I wish that 

 my confounded handwriting was better. 



I had a note the other day from Hooker, and I can see 

 that he is much pleased with the Dedication. 



With all good wishes, believe me yours sincerely, 



Ch. Darwin. 



In two or three weeks you will receive a book from me ; 

 if you care to know w^hat it is about, read the paragraph 

 in Introduction about new terms and then the last chapter, 

 and you will know whole contents of book. 



Pen-y-hryUy St, Peter^s Road, Croydon. November 8, 1880. 



My dear Darwin, — Many thanks for your kind remarks 

 and notes on my book. Several of the latter will be of use 

 to me if I have to prepare a second edition, which I am not 

 so sure of as you seem to be. 



1. In your remark as to the doubtfulness of paucity of 

 fossils being due to coldness of water, I think you over- 

 look that I am speaking only of waters in the latitude of 

 the Alps, in Miocene and Eocene times, when icebergs 

 and glaciers temporarily descended into an otherwise warm 

 sea; my theory being that there was no glacial epoch at 

 that time, but merely a local and temporary descent of the 

 snow-line and glaciers owing to high excentricity and winter 

 in aphelion, 



2. I cannot see the difficulty about the cessation of the 

 glacial period. Between the Miocene and the Pleistocene 

 periods geographical changes occurred which rendered a 



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