e would never sting at all." Natural selection
of cowards!

LETTER 142. H. FALCONER TO CHARLES DARWIN.

(142/1. This refers to the MS. of Falconer's paper "On the American
Fossil Elephant of the Regions bordering the Gulf of Mexico (E. Columbi,
Falc.)," published in the "Natural History Review," January, 1863, page
43. The section dealing with the bearing of his facts on Darwin's views
is at page 77. He insists strongly (page 78) on the "persistence and
uniformity of the characters of the molar teeth in the earliest known
mammoth, and his most modern successor." Nevertheless, he adds that
the "inferences I draw from these facts are not opposed to one of the
leading propositions of Darwin's theory." These admissions were the
more satisfactory since, as Falconer points out (page 77), "I have been
included by him in the category of those who have vehemently maintained
the persistence of specific characters.")

21, Park Crescent, Portland Place, N.W., September 24th [1862].

Do not be frightened at the enclosure. I wish to set myself right by you
before I go to press. I am bringing out a heavy memoir on elephants--an
omnium gatherum affair, with observations on the fossil and recent
species. One section is devoted to the persistence in time of the
specific characters of the mammoth. I trace him from before the Glacial
period, through it and after it, unchangeable and unchanged as far as
the organs of digestion (teeth) and locomotion are concerned. Now, the
Glacial period was no joke: it would have made ducks and drakes of your
dear pigeons and doves.

With all my shortcomings, I have such a sincere and affectionate regard
for you and such admiration of your work, that I should be pained to
find that I had expressed my honest convictions in a way that would be
open to any objection by you. The reasoning may be very stupid, but I
believe that the observation is sound. Will you, therefore, look over
the few pages which I have sent, and tell me whether you find any flaw,
or whether you think I should change the form of expression? You have
been so unhandsomely and uncandidly dealt with by a friend of yours
and mine that I should be sorry to find myself in the position of an
opponent to you, and more particularly with the chance of making a fool
of myself.

I met your brother yesterday, who tells me you are coming to town. I
hope you will give me a hail. I long for a jaw with you, and have much
to speak to you about.