To A. R. Wallace 15 June [1864]1
Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.
June 15
Dear Wallace
You must not suppose from my delay that I have not been much interested by your long letter.2 I write now merely to thank you & just to say that probably you are right on all the points you touch on except as I think about sexual selection which I will not give up.
My belief in it, however, is contingent on my general belief in sexual selection. It is an awful stretcher to believe that a Peacock’s tail was thus formed, but believing it, I believe in the same principle somewhat modified applied to man.3
I doubt whether my notes wd be of any use to you, & as far as I remember they are chiefly on sexual selection.4
I am very glad to hear that you are on your Travels.5 I believe you will find it a very convenient vehicle for miscellaneous discussion. With your admirable powers of writing I cannot doubt that you will make an excellent book—
Believe me dear Wallace | yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin
P.S. A great gun Flourens has written a little dull book against me;6 which pleases me much for it is plain that our good work is spreading in France. He speaks of the “engouement” about this book “so full of empty & presumptuous thoughts.”7
Footnotes
Summary
Short reply to ARW’s long letter. Reaffirms belief in sexual selection.
Postscript on M.-J.-P. Flourens’ "little dull book against me" [Examen du livre de M. Darwin (1864)].
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-4535
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Alfred Russel Wallace
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- British Library (Add. MS 46434: 47)
- Physical description
- 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4535,” accessed on 24 April 2018, http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/DCP-LETT-4535
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 12