Nature studies / by Grant Allen [and others].

Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Nature studies / by Grant Allen [and others]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    of the manner in which such works should be written.” This was high praise, and praise bearing in a specially interesting manner on the estimate we are to form of that great work which was all this time in preparation. It is well to recognise that the chief characteristic of the man who has put forward the most daring biological theory of the present century was “ remark- able caution in coming tb conclusions.” In the year 1858, when the labours of Darwin on his theory of the origin of species were as yet un- finished, Mr. Wallace, who was then engaged in studying the history of the Malayan Archipelago, sent him a memoir embodying the same general con- clusions to which he had himself been led, and requested that he would forward it to Sir Charles Lyell. This memoir was published in the third volume of the “Journal of the Linnaean Society.” Sir C. Lyell and Sir Joseph Hooker, both of whom knew of Darwin's work, suggested to him that it would be advisable to publish with Wallace’s memoir some brief extracts from his own manuscripts. This was accordingly done, and an abstract—necessarily imperfect, Darwin said—of the new theory of the origin of species by natural selection was published on November 24, 1859. It will be in the recollection of most of our readers with what a storm of mingled ridicule and indignation the new theory was received. Vfild views spread on every hand as to its nature, and even those who had the means of mastering Darwin’s reasoning pined in misrepresenting and ridiculing his