WCP1764

[1]

16, OLD QUEBEC STREET, W.

27 Jan^y 1888

My dear Mr Geddes¹

I will with pleasure add a sentence "with respect to variation & selection" but for that I must ask you to send me back my letter that I may insert or, if needful, write it over again. I have kept no copy.

I should vastly like to see your paper out in a Review in March but these things are difficult & personal interest nil. If an Editor finds a paper likely to benefit his [illeg.] he will print it if communicated by the Devil & an Archangel could not get it in otherwise. The 19 Century would be best & its Editor might publish it quickly but he will never promise & has occasionally kept a paper of mine 12 months. Still I would send it to him with a request to return it if it cannot appear in a certain term giving him as [2] long as you can. Send your MS in question as [illeg.] I always do to this address

J. T. Knowles² Esq^r

Queen Anne’s Lodge

St James’s Park

S.W

Say if you like, that you send it at my sugestion & that I said you [illeg.] were to send it direct to him.

The Contemporary Review would be 2^d best its Editor is Percy W. Bunting³

11. Old Square

Lincoln’s Inn

W. C.

If you elect him you can if you like speak of me in the same way as I have just suggested.

The Editor⁴ of the Fortnightly is away in Italy having married a woman⁵, 15 years older than himself, with £4000 a year & who gave him £20,000 on his wedding morning — or day before!

I am interested & somewhat amused by what you tell me about my friend Wallace. A special influence (as no doubt you know) modified his views about Man. You do not say if you [3] have heard anything about R. Wagner’s⁶ case of Saturnia bolli that was a wonderful instance of definite variation.

Please tell me what is Arthur Thompson’s⁷ summary is. I should like to see it if I can. I shall look forward to enjoying prickles and thorns (a depraved appetite some would say) when they make their appearance.

I quite sympathize with your feeling about Huxley⁸. My real affection for him has kept quite warm & I felt it when he was most hostile to me.

I am much amused at the letters in Darwin’s life.⁹

I hope you will be up soon but even if I am in the country I almost always come up for Linnean Meetings.

Rep Depend on it I will do [5] my best to get your paper re-referred on Feb 2^d &, unless you tell me to the contrary, will propose Masters¹⁰ or Henslow¹¹ or, in the last resort, Wallace.

With kind rgds belive me | Vry truly yours | G J Mivart¹² [signature]