structures. Pray read what I
have said on "correlation." Orchids ought to show us how ignorant we are
of what is useful. No doubt hundreds of cases could be advanced of
which no explanation could be offered; but I must stop. Your letter has
interested me much. I am very far from strong, and have great fear that
I must stop all work for a couple of months for entire rest, and leave
home. It will be ruin to all my work.

LETTER 166. TO J.D. HOOKER. Down, April 23rd [1863].

The more I think of Falconer's letter (166/1. Published in the
"Athenaeum" April 4th, 1863, page 459. The writer asserts that Lyell did
not make it clear that certain material made use of in the "Antiquity
of Man" was supplied by the original work of Mr. Prestwich and himself.
(See "Life and Letters," III., page 19.)) the more grieved I am; he and
Prestwich (the latter at least must owe much to the "Principles") assume
an absurdly unwarrantable position with respect to Lyell. It is too
bad to treat an old hero in science thus. I can see from a note from
Falconer (about a wonderful fossil Brazilian Mammal, well called Meso-
or Typo-therium) that he expects no sympathy from me. He will end, I
hope, by being sorry. Lyell lays himself open to a slap by saying that
he would come to show his original observations, and then not distinctly
doing so; he had better only have laid claim, on this one point of man,
to verification and compilation.

Altogether, I much like Lyell's letter. But all this squabbling will
greatly sink scientific men. I have seen a sneer already in the "Times."

LETTER 167. TO H.W. BATES. At Rev. C. Langton, Hartfield, Tunbridge
Wells, April 30th [1863].

You will have received before this the note which I addressed to
Leicester, after finishing Volume I., and you will have received copies
of my little review (167/1. "Nat. Hist. Review," 1863, page 219. A
review of Bates' paper on Mimetic Butterflies.) of your paper...I have
now finished Volume II., and my opinion remains the same--that you have
written a truly admirable work (167/2. "The Naturalist on the Amazons,"
1863.), with capital original remarks, first-rate descriptions, and the
whole in a style which could not be improved. My family are now reading
the book, and admire it extremely; and, as my wife remarks, it has so
strong an air of truthfulness. I had a letter from a person the other
day, unknown to you, full of praise of the book. I do hope it may get
extensively hear