EDITORIAL GLEANINGS. 279 
the half century that had elapsed since they were written. Sir Joseph 
Hooker's early appreciation and unswerving support of a doctrine too 
often misunderstood did more than any other circumstance to ensure 
a fair hearing among true men of science for the theory of the origin 
of species by means of natural selection, leading ultimately to its 
general acceptance. 
Sir Joseph Hooker, who was loudly cheered on responding, said 
that, considering the intimate terms on which Mr. Darwin extended 
to him his friendship, he thought that on that occasion it would be 
appropriate if he could from his memory contribute to the knowledge 
of some important event in Darwin’scareer. He had selected as such 
an event one germane to this celebration, and also engraven on his 
memory—namely, the considerations which determined Mr. Darwin 
to assent to the course which Sir Charles Lyell and he suggested to 
him—that of presenting to the Society, in one communication, his 
own and Mr. Wallace’s theories on the effect of variation and the 
struggle for existence on the evolution of species. They had all read 
Francis Darwin’s fascinating work as editor of his father’s ‘ Life and 
Letters,’ where they found a letter addressed on June 18th, 1858, to 
Sir Charles Lyell by Mr. Darwin, who stated that he had that day 
received from Mr. Wallace, written from the Celebes Islands, 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 co- 
incidence. After writing to Sir Charles Lyell, Mr. Darwin informed 
him (the speaker) of Mr. Wallace’s letter explicitly announcing his 
resolve to abandon all claim to priority for his own sketch. He (the 
speaker) could not but protest against such a course, no doubt remind- 
ing him that he had read it, and that Sir Charles knew its contents 
some years before the arrival of Mr. Wallace’s letter, and that the 
withholding of their knowledge of its priority would be unjustifiable. 
He further suggested the simultaneous publication of the two, and 
offered, should Mr. Darwin 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 him warmly for his offer to explain 
all to Mr. Wallace, and in a later letter stated that he was disposed 
to look favourably on the suggested compromise, but that, before 
making up his mind, he desired a second opinion as to whether he 
could honourably claim priority, and that he proposed applying to 
Sir Charles Lyell for this. It might be interesting to recall that the 
last ordinary meeting of the session of the Linnean Society was held 
in the middle of June. The occasion of the meeting on July 1st was 
exceptional, being due to the death of the eminent botanist, Robert 
Brown. As a mark of respect to that great past President, the 
ordinary meeting of June 17th was adjourned, and a special meeting 
called in order to elect a successor to the vacancy on the Council 
caused by his decease, George Bentham being nominated in his place. 
The usual election of Council and officers had taken place at the 
anniversary meeting only a month before, and, oddly enough, among 
the new members of that body was Charles Darwin. Other papers 
