Darwin- Wallace Celebration. 13 



and the struggle for existence on the evolution of species (see 

 Jour. Linn. Soc. iii. (1859) pp. 45-61). 



You have all read Francis Darwin's fascinating work as- 

 Editor of his father's ' Life and Letters,' where you will 

 find (Vol. ii. p. 116) a letter addressed, on the 18th June,. 

 1858, to Sir Charles Lyell by Mr. Darwin, who states that he 

 had on that day received a communication from Mr. Wallace 

 written from the Celebes Islands requesting that it might be 

 sent to him (Sir Charles). 



In a covering letter Mr. Darwin pointed out that the en- 

 closure contained a sketch of a theory of Natural Selection 

 as depending on the struggle for existence so identical with 

 one he himself entertained and fully described in MS. in 1842,. 

 that he never saw a more striking coincidence : had Mr. 

 Wallace seen his sketch he could not have made a better short 

 abstract, even his terms standing " as heads of my chapters." 

 He goes on to say that he would at once write to Mr. Wallace 

 offering to send his MS. to any journal ; and concludes : " So 

 my originality is smashed, though my book (the forthcoming 

 ' Origin of Species'), if it will have any value will not be- 

 deteriorated, as all know the labour consists in the application 

 o the theory." 



After writing to Sir Charles Lyell, Mr. Darwin informed 

 me of Mr. Wallace's letter and its enclosure, in a similar 

 strain, only more explicitly announcing his resolve to abandon 

 all claim to priority for his own sketch.. I could not but 

 protest against such a course, no doubt reminding him that 

 I had read it, and that Sir Charles knew its contents, some 

 years before the arrival of Mr. Wallace's letter ; and that our 

 withholding our knowledge of its priority would be unjusti- 

 fiable. I further suggested the simultaneous publication of 

 the two, and offered should he agree to such a compromise 

 to write to Mr. Wallace fully informing him of the motives 

 of the course adopted. 



In answer, Mr. Darwin thanked me warmly for my offer to 

 explain all to Mr. Wallace, and in a later letter he informed 

 me that he was disposed to look favourably on my suggested 

 compromise, but that before making up his mind he desired 



