WCP1884

Letter (WCP1884.4065)

[1]1

Hurstpierpoint

Oct[obe]r. 22nd. [1867]2

Dear Darwin

I am very glad you approve of my article on "Creation by Law" as a whole.3

The "machine metaphor is not mine, but the N[orth]. B[ritish]. reviewers.4 I merely accept it and show that it is on our side and not against us, but I do not think it at all a good metaphor to be used as an argument either way. I did not half develope5 the argument on the limits of variation, being myself limited in space; but I feel satisfied that it is the true answer to [2]6 the very common and very strong objection, that "variation has strict limits". The fallacy is the requiring variation in domesticity to go beyond the limits of the same variation under nature. It does do so sometimes however, because the conditions of existence are so different. I do not think a case can be pointed out in which the limits of variation under domestication are not up to or beyond those already marked out in nature, only we generally get in the species an amount of change which in nature occurs only in the whole range of the genus or family

The many cases however in which variation has gone far beyond nature [3]7 and has not yet stopped, are ignored. For instance no wild pomaceous fruit is I believe so large as our apples, and no doubt they could be got much larger if flavour &c. were entirely neglected.

I may perhaps push "protection" too far some times for it is my hobby just now,— but as the Lion & the Tiger are I think the only two non-arboreal cats, I think the Tiger stripe agreeing so well with its usual habitat is at least a probable case.

I am rewriting my article on Birds’ nests for the new "Nat[ural]. Hist[ory]. Review."8

I cannot tell you about the first appearance of tears, but it is very early, — the first week or two I think. I can see the Vict[oria]. Mag[azine].9 at the London Library.10

[4]11 I shall read your book every word. I hear from Sir C[harles]. Lyell12 that you come out with a grand (new) theory at the end, which even the Cautious! Huxley13 is afraid of! Sir C[harles]. said he could think of nothing else since he read it. I long to see it.

My address is Hurstpierpoint during the winter, and when in Town, 76½ Westbourne Grove.

I suppose you will now be going on with your book on Sexual selection & Man, by way of relaxation! It is a glorious subject but will require delicate handling.

Yours very faithfully | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

C. Darwin Esq.

Darwin adds a vertical line down the centre of page 1 from the text "I am" to "is the true".
The date is established by the Darwin Correspondence Project, see DCP-LETT-5656.
Wallace, A. R. 1867. Creation by Law. Quarterly Journal of Science. 4: 471-88.
Jenkin, Henry Charles Fleeming (1833-1885). Scottish electrical engineer and critic of Darwinism.
Archaic form of develop.
Darwin adds a double vertical line on the left-hand margin of page 2 from the text "variation in domesticity" to "the same variation".
Darwin adds a vertical line down the centre of page 3 from the text "perhaps push" to "London library".
The new Natural History Review was the short-lived Journal of Travel and Natural History. ARW's greatly expanded his earlier article on birds' nests published for the British Association for the Advancement of Science. See Wallace, A. R. 1868. A Theory of Birds' Nests: Shewing the Relation of Certain Sexual Differences of Colour in Birds to their Mode of Nidification. Journal of Travel and Natural History. 1: 73-89.
ARW refers to the Journal of the Transactions of the Victoria Institute. The Victoria Institute or Philosophical Society of Great Britain was founded in 1865 by James Reddie. The primary goal of the society was to "defend the revealed truth of Holy Scripture [...] against the opposition of Science falsely so-called." (Anonymous. 1865. Scientia Scientiarum; being some Account of the Origin and Objects of the Victoria Institute, or Philosophical Society of Great Britain. 5-30. Journal of the Transactions of the Victoria Institute. London: R. Hardwicke, Vol. 1. [p.5]).
ARW refers to the London Library, an independent subscription library founded on the initiative of Thomas Carlyle in 1841. The library originally opened at 49 Pall Mall on the 3rd of May 1841 and moved to its present location at 14 St James's Square in 1845. (Bell, A. 2001 [2015]. London Library. 416-418. In: Stam, D. H. (Ed). International Dictionary of Library Histories. 2 Vols. London: Routledge).
Darwin adds a vertical line down the centre of page 4 from the text "read your book" to "delicate handling".
Lyell, Charles (1797-1875). British lawyer and geologist.
Huxley, Thomas Henry (1825-1895). British biologist known as "Darwin's Bulldog".

Transcription (WCP1884.1774)

[1]

To C.Darwin.

Hurstpierpoint Oct. 22nd.1

Dear Darwin

I am very glad you approve of my article on "Creation by Law"2 as a whole.

The "machine metaphor["] is not mine but the N.B. reviewer's. I merely accept it and show that it is on our side and not against us, but I do not think it at all a good metaphor to be used as an argument either way. I did not half develope[sic] the argument on the limits of variation, being myself limited in space; but I feel satisfied that it is the true answer to the very common and very strong objection, that "variation has strict limits". The fallacy is the requiring variation in domesticity to go beyond the limits of the same variation under nature. It does do so sometimes however, because the conditions of existence are so different. I do not think a case can be pointed out in which the limits of variation under domestication are not up to or beyond those already marked out in nature, only we generally get in the species an amount of change which in nature occurs only in the whole range of the genus or family.

The many cases however in which variation has gone far beyond nature and has not yet stopped, are ignored. For instance no wild porraceous fruit is I believe so large as our apples, and no doubt they could be got much larger if flavour &c. were entirely neglected.

I may perhaps push "protection" too far some times for it is my hobby just now, but as the Lion & the Tiger are I think the only two non-arboreal cats, I think the Tiger stripe agreeing so well with its usual habitat is at least a probable case.

I am rewriting my article on Birds' nests for the new "Nat. Hist. Review".

I cannot tell you about the first appearance of tears, but it is very early, — the first week or two I think. I can see the Vict.(?) Mag. At the London Library.

I shall read your book every word. I hear from Sir C.Lyell that you come out with a grand new theory at the end, which even the cautious! Huxley is afraid of! Sir C. said he could think of nothing else since he read it. I long to see it. [2]

To C. Darwin.) Hurst. Oct 22nd.

My address is Hurstpierpoint, during the winter, and when in Town, 76½ Westbourne Grove.

I suppose you will now be going on with your book on Sexual selection & Man, by way of relaxation! It is a glorious subject but will require delicate handling.

Yours very faithfully Alfred R. Wallace.

Pencil annotation suggesting date as 1867.
Wallace, Alfred Russel. 1867 Creation by Law. Quarterly Journal of Science, Volume 4 (October) 1867. London, John Churchill and Sons, New Burlington Street. [pp471-488]. See https://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/wallace/S140.htm

Transcription (WCP1884.4518)

[1]

To C. Darwin. Hurstpierpoint Sussex. Oct.22nd. 1867

Dear Darwin

I am very glad you approve of my article on "Creation by Law" as a whole.

The "machine metaphore is not mine but the N.B. [note well, the] reviewer’s. I merely accept it and show that it is on our side and not against us, but I do not think it at all a good metaphor to be used an argument either way. I did not half develope the argument on the limits of variation, being myself limited in space; but I feel satisfied that it is the true answer to the very common and very strong objection, that "variation has strict limits". The fallacy is the requiring variation in domesticity to go beyond the limits of the same variation under nature. It does do so sometimes however, because the conditions of existence are so different. I do not think a case can be pointed out in which the limits of variation under domestication are not up to or beyond those already marked out in nature, only we generally get in the species an amount of change which in nature occurs only in the whole range of the genus or family.

The many cases however in which variation has gone far beyond nature and has not yet stopped, are ignored. For instance no wild pomaceous fruit is I believe so large as our apples, and no doubt they could be got much larger if flavour &c. were neglected.

I may perhaps push "protection" too far some times for it is my hobby just now, but as the Lion & the Tiger are I think the only two non-arboreal cats, I think the Tiger stripe agreeing so well with its usual habitat is at least a probable case.

I am rewriting my article on Birds’ nest for the new "Nat. Hist. Review".

I cannot tell you about the first appearance of tears, but it is very early,- the first week or two I think. I can see the Vict.(?) Mag. at the London Library.

I shall read your book every word. I hear from Sir C.Lyell1 that you come out with a grand new theory ar the end, which even the cautious ! Huxley2 is afraid of ! Sir C. said he could think of nothing else since he read it. I long to= see it.

[2] My address is Hurstpierpoint during the winter, and when in Town, 76½ Westbourne Grove.

I suppose you will now be going on with your book on Sexual selection & Man, by way of relaxation! It is a glorious subject but will require delicate handling.

Yours very faithfully | Alfred R.Wallace [signature]

Charles Lyell (1797 — 1875) British lawyer and geologist
Thomas Henry Huxley (1825 — 1895) British biologist

Published letter (WCP1884.5967)

[1] [p. 192]

Hurstpierpoint. October 22, 1867.

Dear Darwin, — I am very glad you approve of my article on "Creation by Law" as a whole.

The "machine metaphor" is not mine, but the North British reviewer's. I merely accept it and show that it is on our side and not against us, but I do not think it at all a good metaphor to be used as an argument either way. I did not half develop the argument on the limits of variation, being myself limited in space; but I feel satisfied that it is the true answer to the very common and very strong objection, that "variation has strict limits." The fallacy is the requiring variation in domesticity to go beyond the limits of the same variation under nature. It does do so sometimes, however, because the conditions of existence are so different. I do not think a case can be pointed out in which the limits of variation under domestication are not up to or beyond those already marked out in nature, only we generally get in the species an amount of change which in nature occurs only in the whole range of the genus or family.

The many cases, however, in which variation has gone far beyond nature and has not yet stopped are ignored. For instance, no wild pomaceous fruit is, I believe, so large as our apples, and no doubt they could be got much larger if flavour, etc., were entirely neglected.

I may perhaps push "protection" too far sometimes, for [2] [p. 193] it is my hobby just now, but as the lion and the tiger are, I think, the only two non-arboreal cats, I think the tiger stripe agreeing so well with its usual habitat is at least a probable case.

I am rewriting my article on Birds' Nests for the new Natural History Review.

I cannot tell yon about the first appearance of tears, but it is very early — the first week or two. I think. I can see the Victoria Institute Magazine at the London Library.

I shall read your book, every word. I hear from Sir C. Lyell that you come out with a grand new theory at the end, which even the cautious (!) Huxley is afraid of! Sir C. said he could think of nothing else since he read it. I long to see it.

My address is Hurstpierpoint during the winter, and, when in town, 76½ Westbourne Grove.

I suppose you will now be going on with your book on Sexual Selection and Man, by way of relaxation! It is a glorious subject, but will require delicate handling. — Yours very faithfully, ALFRED R. WALLACE.

Please cite as “WCP1884,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 11 October 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP1884