To A. R. Wallace 16 September [1868]1
Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.
Sept 16th
My dear Wallace
The Beetles have arrived & cordial thanks: I never saw such wonderful creatures in my life. I was thinking of something quite different. I shall wait till my son Frank returns, before soaking & examining them.—2
I long to steal the Box, but return it by this Post, like a too honest man.—
I am so much pleased about the male musk Callichroma; for by odd chance I told Frank a week ago that next spring he must collect at Cambridge lots of Cerambyx moschatus for as sure as life he wd find the odour sexual!3
You will be pleased to hear that I am undergoing severe distress about the protection & sexual selection: this morning I oscillated with joy towards you: this evening I have swung back to old position, out of which I fear I shall never get.—4
I did most thoroughily enjoy my talk with you three gentlemen & especially with you, & to my great surprise it has not knocked me up.— Pray give my kindest remembrances to Mrs Wallace, & if my wife were at home she would cordially join in this.—5
Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin
I have had this morning capital letter from Walsh of Illinois; but details too long to give.—6
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.
Fichman, Martin. 2004. An elusive Victorian: the evolution of Alfred Russel Wallace. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Kottler, Malcolm Jay. 1980. Darwin, Wallace, and the origin of sexual dimorphism. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 124: 203–26.
Summary
CD’s oscillating views relating to protection and sexual selection.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-6368
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Alfred Russel Wallace
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- The British Library (Add MS 46434: 149–50)
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6368,” accessed on 1 September 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6368.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 16