WCP4559

[1]

Old Orchard,

Broadstone,

Wimborne.

Dec^r. 20^th. 1908

My dear Meldola

Thanks for your kind offer to read for me if necessary. But when Sir W. Crookes first wrote to me about it, he offered to read all, or any parts of the lecture, if my voice did not hold out.

I am very much afraid I cannot stand the strain of speaking beyond my natural tone for an hour or even for half that time — but I may be able to do the opening & [2] and[sic] conclusion. I suppose Crookes has a voice that can be heard or he would not have made the offer.

I shall be staying with H. E. Dresser who lives close to Kensington High St[reet] Station, & Violet has a friend near there with whom she will stay.

I am glad ^that you see, as I do, the utter futility of the claims of the Mutationists — and the Mendelians are [3] like unto them!

I may just mention them in the lecture, but I hope I have put the subject in such a way that even "the meanest capacity" will suffice to see the absurdity of their claims.

Yours very truly| Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

P.S. I do not know whether the critics of "Darwinism" are most to be admired for their impudence, their vagueness, or their utter inability to reason logically. F. A. Bather has just sent me his criticism of W. K. Brooks — in "Natural Science". — It is full of vague generalities from beginning to end. He quotes "Cunningham (in Nat[ural] Sc[ience] of May 1896) [4]¹ as sayin[g]² : — "All adaptations, at any rate all adjustments concerning whose action and efficacy there is no dispute; have arisen in the same way as the enlargement of a muscle by exercise".

Given space & time I could quote 50 cases of adaptations of whose efficacy there is no dispute, that absolutely demonstrated the above to be a pure misstatement or lie. Hundreds of plants have silk or feathers, or filmy wings to the seeds, which fall out when the pod is ripe and are then carried often many miles by the wind. The wind cannot touch them till the seed is ripe & falls. Where is the action like the growth of "muscle by exercise" here.

A.R.W. [signature]

P.S.2 Mrs. Meldola’s letter received[.] I enclose four cards. I have only 2 reserved, & they are for my hosts.

A.R.W. [signature]