The Presidential Address.
78
Hooker and Sir Charles Lyell, by the latter of whom it was
communicated to the Linnean Society, and was published in
the 'Proceedings' for August, 1858.7 At the same meeting
of the Society Mr. Darwin gave an outline of his theory, and
his paper appeared at the same time as Wallace's. The
slight sketch published by Darwin in 1858 was elaborated the
following year into his epoch-making work on the 'Origin of
Species,' the first edition of which was published on November
24th, 1859. On learning that Darwin had for more than
twenty years been accumulating facts which had led him to
the same conclusions, Wallace with the greatest generosity
relinquished his claim in favour of his great compeer.8 In
these days, when we hear of petty squabbles about the
"priority" of claim for having attached a label to some new
insect, the following remarks from the Preface to Wallace's
'Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection' (1870)
read with refreshing magnanimity:—"The present work will,
I venture to think, prove that I both saw at the time the
value and scope of the law which I had discovered, and have
since been able to apply it to some purpose in a few original
lines of investigation. But here my claims cease. I have
felt all my life, and I still feel, the most sincere satisfaction that
Mr. Darwin had been at work long before me, and that it was
not left for me to attempt to write the 'Origin of Species.'
I have long since measured my own strength, and know well
that it would be quite unequal to that task. Far abler men
than myself may confess that they have not that untiring
patience in accumulating, and that wonderful skill in using
large masses of facts of the most varied kind,—that wide and
accurate physiological knowledge,—that acuteness in devising
and skill in carrying out experiments,—and that admirable
style of composition, at once clear, persuasive, and judicial,—
7 Mr. Wallace has narrated to me that one of his correspondents, a
well known entomologist, wrote to say that it was a general remark in
natural history circles, with respect to this paper, that it was much to be
regretted that the author had not more confined himself to statements
of fact!
8 Lyell states that Darwin was also "willing to waive his claim to
priority." 'Principles of Geology,' 12th ed., vol. ii., p. 278.