WCP6791

[1]

Rome

Apr. 19 1888

To the Secretary of the Linnean Society Burlington House, London, W.

Dear Sir

Your note of Nov 3^rd acknowledging the receipt of the MS. of my paper on "Divergent Evolution through Cumulative Segregation" reached me just before my departure from Japan in the month of January.

Within a week or two, since my arrival in Italy, I have been informed by my Agents Bywater, Tanqueray & Co. that they have heard through Mr A. R. Wallace, that owing to its great length the paper has not been published; & that the question has been raised [2] whether I should be ready to bear the expense of publication.

I certainly am not surprised that your society hesitates to ^{<incur?> the expense of} publishing a paper of so great length, especially when presented by one who has never contributed anything to the funds of the society. But I do not think it would be at all desirable to crowd the whole paper into one quarter the space as Mr. Wallace suggests; nor do I think any one of the principles discussed in the last two chapters could be clearly & adequately presented if separated from the other principles discussed in the same chapters; for it is the combined & superimposed action of these different principles that must constantly be producing increasing divergences of types [3] in the organic world; nor would it be of much use to show that there are natural causes producing segregate ^generation till it had been shown ^{in previous chapters} that this principle must product divergent evolution as surely as simple Natural Selection of other than average forms ^{will without the prevention of intercrossing} produce monotypic transformation.

My paper covers a much wider range of subjects than the Romanes paper on Physiological Selection, and I think gains in clearness and intelligibility through this fact, though it requires a larger number of pages ^{were required} to cover the whole subject.

Such being the case the expense of publication becomes a serious question. Now I have two propositions to make, which will I trust avail somewhat in [4] solving the difficulty. In the first place I am willing that the whole of Chapter II should be omitted. It is entitled — Diversity of Selection with Separation, how far Explained by Darwin, & is chiefly occupied with questions from Darwin with expositions & criticisms. As it is not essential to the continuity of my argument; ^{perhaps it better be omitted.} & as some may think that I have misinterpreted Darwin & others that I am presumptuous in differing from him ^{even in minor points} it may be better to pass that part of the subject in silence. This will reduce the paper a little & of the cost of publishing the <requirements> ^{In the second place} I think I can undertake to meet one half ^{of the cost of publishing the remainder of the paper} if the remaining ^other half can be furnished by the Society.

Will you kindly write soon letting me know what the expense will be of publishing the paper without the 2nd chapter, & whether my meeting half the expense will remove the difficulty.

My address is Rev. J. T. Guilick, c/o Rev. W. H. Guilick, Avenida 40, San Sabastian Spain.¹

If the 2^nd chapter is omitted, the first seven words of the 3^rd chapter will also have to be taken out.²