tion,
and is so confoundedly doubtful. Perhaps I shall change again when I get
all my facts under one point of view, and a pretty hard job this will
be. (147/1. This paragraph was published in "Life and Letters," II.,
page 390. It is not clear why a belief in "direct action" should
diminish the glory of Natural Selection, since the changes so produced
must, like any other variations, pass through the ordeal of the survival
of the fittest. On the whole question of direct action see Mr. Adam
Sedgwick's "Presidential Address to the Zoological Section of the
British Association," 1899.)

LETTER 148. TO H.W. BATES. Down, November 25th [1862?].

I should think it was not necessary to get a written agreement. (148/1.
Mr. Bates' book, "A Naturalist on the Amazons," was published in 1863.)
I have never had one from Murray. I suppose you have a letter with
terms; if not, I should think you had better ask for one to prevent
misunderstandings. I think Sir C. Lyell told me he had not any formal
agreements. I am heartily glad to hear that your book is progressing.
Could you find me some place, even a footnote (though these are in nine
cases out of ten objectionable), where you could state, as fully as your
materials permit, all the facts about similar varieties pairing,--at a
guess how many you caught, and how many now in your collection? I look
at this fact as very important; if not in your book, put it somewhere
else, or let me have cases.

I entirely agree with you on the enormous advantage of thoroughly
studying one group.

I really have no criticism to make. (148/2. Mr. Bates' paper on mimetic
butterflies was read before the Linnean Society, November 21st, 1861,
and published in the "Linn. Soc. Trans." XXIII., 1862, page 495, under
the title of "Contributions to an Insect Fauna of the Amazon Valley.")
Style seems to me very good and clear; but I much regret that in the
title or opening passage you did not blow a loud trumpet about what
you were going to show. Perhaps the paper would have been better more
divided into sections with headings. Perhaps you might have given
somewhere rather more of a summary on the progress of segregation
of varieties, and not referred your readers to the descriptive part,
excepting such readers as wanted minute detail. But these are trifles:
I consider your paper as a most admirable production in every way.
Whenever I come to variation under natural conditions (my head for
months has been exc