st interest. I had almost forgotten your discussion
on the retrograde development of the Rhizocephala. What an admirable
illustration it affords of my whole doctrine! A man must indeed be a
bigot in favour of separate acts of creation if he is not staggered
after reading your essay; but I fear that it is too deep for English
readers, except for a select few.

LETTER 228. TO A.R. WALLACE. March 27th [1869].

I have lately (i.e., in new edition of the "Origin") (228/1. Fifth
edition, 1869, pages 150-57.) been moderating my zeal, and attributing
much more to mere useless variability. I did think I would send you the
sheet, but I daresay you would not care to see it, in which I discuss
Nageli's Essay on Natural Selection not affecting characters of
no functional importance, and which yet are of high classificatory
importance. Hooker is pretty well satisfied with what I have said on
this head.

LETTER 229. TO J.D. HOOKER. Caerdeon, Barmouth, North Wales, July 24th
[1869].

We shall be at home this day week, taking two days on the journey, and
right glad I shall be. The whole has been a failure to me, but much
enjoyment to the young...My wife has ailed a good deal nearly all the
time; so that I loathe the place, with all its beauty. I was glad to
hear what you thought of F. Muller, and I agree wholly with you. Your
letter came at the nick of time, for I was writing on the very day to
Muller, and I passed on your approbation of Chaps. X. and XI. Some time
I should like to borrow the "Transactions of the New Zealand Institute,"
so as to read Colenso's article. (229/1. Colenso, "On the Maori Races of
New Zealand." "N.Z. Inst. Trans." 1868, Pt. 3.) You must read Huxley
v. Comte (229/2. "The Scientific Aspects of Positivism." "Fortnightly
Review," 1869, page 652, and "Lay Sermons," 1870, page 162. This was a
reply to Mr. Congreve's article, "Mr. Huxley on M. Comte," published in
the April number of the "Fortnightly," page 407, which had been
written in criticism of Huxley's article in the February number of the
"Fortnightly," page 128, "On the Physical Basis of Life."); he never
wrote anything so clever before, and has smashed everybody right and
left in grand style. I had a vague wish to read Comte, and so had
George, but he has entirely cured us of any such vain wish.

There is another article (229/3. "North British Review," Volume 50,
1869: "Geological Time," page 406. The papers reviewed are Sir William
Thomson, "Tra