From A. R. Wallace 6 July 1870
Holly House, Barking, E.
July 6th. 1870
Dear Darwin
Many thanks for the drawing. I must say however the resemblance to a snake is not very striking unless to a Cobra not found in America.1 It is also evident that it is not Mr Bates Catterpillar as that threw the head backward so as to show the feet above forming imitations of keeled scales.2
Claparede has sent me his critique on my book. You will probably have it too. His arguments in reply to my heresy seem to me of the weakest.3 I hear you have gone to press, & I look forward with fear & trembling to being crushed under a mountain of facts!4
I hear you were in town the other day.5 When you are again I shd. be glad to come at any convenient hour & give you a call.
Hoping your health is improving & with kind remembrances to Mrs Darwin & all your family
Believe me | Yours very faithfully | Alfred R. Wallace
Charles Darwin Esq.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Claparède, Edouard. 1870. Remarques à propos de l’ouvrage de M. Alfred Russel Wallace sur la théorie de la sélection naturelle. Archives des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles n.s. 38: 160–89.
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Summary
Thanks for the drawing.
E. Claparède’s review [of Theory of natural selection, Rev. Cours Sci. 7 (1870): 564–71] is weak.
Looks forward [to Descent] with fear of being "crushed under a mountain of facts!"
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-7269
- From
- Alfred Russel Wallace
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Barking
- Source of text
- DAR 106: B92–3
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 7269,” accessed on 6 October 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-7269.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 18