To A. R. Wallace   16 March 1871

My dear Wallace

I have just read your grand review. It is in every way as kindly expressed towards myself as it is excellent in matter.¹

The Lyells have been here, & Sir C. remarked that no one wrote such good scientific reviews as you, & as Miss Buckley added you delight in picking out all that is good, though very far from blind to the bad.² In all this I most entirely agree. I shall always consider your review as a great honour; & however much my book may hereafter be abused, as no doubt it will be, your review will console me, notwithstanding that we differ so greatly. I will keep your objections to my views in my mind, but I fear that the latter are almost stereotyped in my mind.³ I thought for long weeks about the inheritance & selection difficulty, & covered quires of paper with notes, in trying to get out of it, but c^d not, tho’ clearly seeing that it w^d be a gt relief if I c^d.

I will confine myself to 2 or 3 remarks. I have been much impressed with what you urge against colour in the case of insects having been acquired thro’ S. selection. I always saw that the evidence was very weak; but I still think, if it be admitted that the musical instruments of insects have been gained through S. selection, that there is not the least improbability in colour having been thus gained.⁴ Your argument with respect to the denudation of mankind & also to insects, that taste on the part of one sex w^d have to remain nearly the same during many generations, in order that S. selection sh^d produce any effect, I agree to; & I think this argument w^d be sound if used by one who denied that, for instance, the plumes of birds of Paradise had been so gained.⁵ I believe you admit this, & if so I do not see how your argument applies in other cases. I have recognised for some short time that I have made a great omission in not having discussed, as far as I could, the acquisition of taste, its inherited nature, & its permanence within pretty close limits for long periods.

One other point & I have done; I see by p. 179 of y^r Rev. that I must have expressed myself very badly to have led you to think that I consider the prehensile organs of males as affording evidence of the females exerting a choice. I have never thought so, & if you chance to remember the passage (but do not hunt for it) pray point it out to me— I am extremely sorry that I gave the note from M^r Stebbing; I thought myself bound to notice his suggestion of beauty as a cause of denudation, & thus I was led on to give his argument.⁶ I altered the final passage which seemed to me offensive, & I had misgivings about the first part. I heartily wish I had yielded to these misgivings. I will omit in any future ed– the latter half of the note.

I have heard from Miss Buckley that you have got possession of your chalk pit & I congratulate you on the tedious delay being over. I fear all our bushes are so large that there is nothing which we are at all likely to grub up.⁷ Years ago we threw away loads of things.

I sh^d very much like to see yr house & grounds; but I fear the journey w^d be too long. Going even to Kew knocks me up, & I have almost ceased trying to do so.

Once again let me thank you warmly for y^r admirable review—

My dear Wallace | yours ever very sincerely | Ch. Darwin.

Thanks about the Bugis—⁸ What an excellent address you gave about Madeira, but I wish you had alluded to Lyell’s discussion on land-shells &c.—, not that he has said a word on subject. The whole address quite delighted me.⁹ I hear M^r Crotch disputes some of your facts about the wingless insects; but he is a crotchety man.—¹⁰

As far as I remember I did not venture to ask M^r. Appleton to get you to review me, but only said in answer to an enquiry that you would undoubtedly be the best, or one of the very few men who could do so effectively.—¹¹