WCP4352

[1]

Frith Hill, Godalming.

Jan^y. 5th.1888

My dear Mr. Poulton¹

I received your interesting paper on the teeth of Ornithorhynchus. Many thanks for it. I am glad your Weismann² book is getting on. Did you think my note on "Old age and Death" — worth using? Any how I shall be glad if you will return it.

I think it would be almost indecent for Romanes³ to review my book! A new argument against his Phys. Select. has [2] just occurred to me, & I have been obliged to put it into a note. His theory assumes sterility or infertility of first crosses, as the foundation of species, ^{the infertility} appearing before any external characters. But, in full-formed & very distinct species there is usually no such sterility — mules, & many kinds of hybrids being quite freely produced. If his theory were the true one, ‘hybrids’ between distinct species sh^d. be very rare or quite unknown. [3] Therefore it is not a true theory. Q. E. D.

I also prove, by figures, that it is unworkable — that his Phys. Var^s. must die out!

It has, therefore, the two slight disadvantages of being untrue and impossible!

But of course he will stick to it.

Yours very truly| Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

P.S. The drawings of the Mantis to hand. Thanks.

A.R.W.