PART III {Continued) 



II.— Correspondence on Biology, Geographical 

 Distribution, etc. 



[1864—93] 

 H. Spencer to A. R. Wallace 



29 Bloomsbury Square, W.C. May 19, 1864. 



My dear Sir, — When I thanked you for your little pam- 

 phlet' the other day, I had not read it. I have since done 

 so with great interest. Its leading idea is, I think, un- 

 doubtedly true, and of much importance towards an inter- 

 pretation of the facts. Though I think that there are some 

 purely physical modifications that may be shown to result 

 from the direct influence of civilisation, yet I think it is 

 quite clear, as you point out, that the small amounts of 

 physical differences that have arisen between the various 

 human races are due to the way in which mental modifica- 

 tions have served in place of physical ones. 



I hope you will pursue the inquiry. It is one in which 

 I have a direct interest, since I hope, hereafter, to make 

 use of its results.— Sincerely yours, Herbert Spencer. 



Sir C. Lyell to A. R. Wallace 



53 Harley Street. May 22, [1864]. 



My dear Sir, — I have been reading with great interest 

 your paper on the Origin of the Races of Man, in which I 

 think the question between the two opposite parties is put 

 with such admirable clearness and fairness that that alone 

 is no small assistance towards clearing the way to a true 



* " The Origin of the Races of Man." 

 18 



