4 NATURE STUDIES. 



of the manner in which such works should be written/' 

 This was high praise, and praise bearing in a specially 

 interesting manner on the estimate we are to form of 

 that great work which was all this time in preparation. 

 It is well to recognise that the chief characteristic of 

 the man who has put forward the most daring 

 biological theory of the present century was ' ( remark- 

 able caution in coming to conclusions." 



In the year 1858, when the labours of Darwin on 

 his theory of the origin of species were as yet un- 

 finished, Mr. Wallace, who was then engaged in 

 studying the history of the Malayan Archipelago, 

 sent him a memoir embodying the same general con- 

 clusions to which he had himself been led, and 

 requested that he would forward it to Sir Charles 

 Lyell. This memoir was published in- the third 

 volume of the "Journal of the Linnsean Society." 

 Sir C. Lyell and Sir Joseph Hooker, both of whom 

 knew of Darwin's work, suggested to him that it 

 would be advisable to publish with Wallace's memoir 

 some brief extracts from his own manuscripts. This 

 was accordingly done, and an abstract necessarily 

 imperfect, Darwin said of the new theory of the 

 origin of species by natural selection was published 

 on November 24, 1859. It will be in the recollection 

 of most of our readers with what a storm of mingled 

 ridicule and indignation the new theory was received. 

 Wild views spread on every hand as to its nature, and 

 even those who had the means of mastering Darwin's 

 reasoning joined in misrepresenting and ridiculing his 



