ariations of the male, where the male is more beautiful than the
female, I believe the variations were sexually limited in their
transmission to the males. I am delighted to hear that you have been
hard at work on your MS.--Yours most sincerely,

CH. DARWIN.

* * * * *

_9 St. Mark's Crescent, N.W. January 20, 1869._

Dear Darwin,--It will give me very great pleasure if you will allow me
to dedicate my little book of Malayan Travels to you, although it will
be far too small and unpretending a work to be worthy of that honour.
Still, I have done what I can to make it a vehicle for communicating a
taste for the higher branches of Natural History, and I know that you
will judge it only too favourably. We are in the middle of the second
volume, and if the printers will get on, shall be out next month.

Have you seen in the last number of the _Quarterly Journal of Science_
the excellent remarks on _Fraser's_ article on Natural Selection failing
as to Man? In one page it gets to the heart of the question, and I have
written to the editor to ask who the author is.

My friend Spruce's paper on Palms is to be read to-morrow evening at the
Linnean. He tells me it contains a discovery which he calls "alteration
of function." He found a clump of Geonema all of which were females, and
the next year the same clump were all males! He has found other facts
analogous to this, and I have no doubt the subject is one that will
interest you.

Hoping you are pretty well and are getting on steadily with your next
volumes, and with kind regards to Mrs. Darwin and all your circle,
believe me, dear Darwin, yours very faithfully,

ALFRED R. WALLACE.

P.S.--Have you seen the admirable article in the _Guardian_ (!) on
Lyell's "Principles"? It is most excellent and liberal. It is written by
the Rev. Geo. Buckle, of Tiverton Vicarage, Bath, whom I met at Norwich
and found a thoroughly scientific and liberal parson. Perhaps you have
heard that I have undertaken to write an article for the _Quarterly_ (!)
on the same subject, to make up for that on "Modern Geology" last year
not mentioning Sir C. Lyell.

Really, what with the Tories passing Radical Reform Bills and the Church
periodicals advocating Darwinianism, the millennium must be at
hand.--A.R.W.

* * * * *

_Down, Bromley, Kent, S.E. January 22, 1869._

My dear Wallace,--Your intended dedication pleases me much and I lo