THE
POPULAR SCIENCE
MONTHLY
MARCH, 1903.
| HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED LETTERS OF CHARLES DARWIN.[1] |
To A. R. Wallace.
Down, April 6th, 1859.
I this morning received your pleasant and friendly note of November 30th. The first part of my MS.[2] is in Murray's hands to see if he likes to publish it. There is no preface, but a short introduction, which must be read by every one who reads my book. The second paragraph in the introduction I have had copied verbatim from my foul copy, and you will, I hope, think that I have fairly noticed your paper in the Linn. Journal. You must remember that I am now publishing only an abstract, and I give no references. I shall, of course, allude to your paper on distribution; and I have added that I know from correspondence that your explanation of your law is the same as that which I offer. You are right, that I came to the conclusion that selection was the principle of change from the study of domesticated productions; and then, reading Malthus, I saw at once how to apply this principle. Geographical distribution and geological relations of extinct to recent inhabitants of South America
- ↑ 'The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin,' edited by his son, Professor Francis Darwin, and published in this country in 1887 by Messrs. D. Appleton and Company, is not surpassed in interest by any similar records, and for the man of science it is of unparalleled importance. From unused material and additional letters, Professor Francis Darwin and Mr. A. C. Seward have compiled a second series, entitled 'More Letters of Charles Darwin: A record of his work in a series of hitherto unpublished letters,' which will be published shortly in two volumes by Messrs. D. Appleton and Company. By their courtesy we are enabled to print here a number of letters which show the surpassing interest of the work.—Editor.
- ↑ 'Origin of Species.'
