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Marchant, James

"Alfred Russel Wallace: Letters and Reminiscences, Vol. 1"

Ants would not be separated from other hymenopterous insects,
however high the instinct of the one and however low the instincts of
the other.
With respect to the differences of race, a conjecture has occurred to me
that much may be due to the correlation of complexion (and consequently
hair) with constitution. Assume that a dusky individual best escaped
miasma and you will readily see what I mean. I persuaded the
Director-General of the Medical Department of the Army to send printed
forms to the surgeons of all regiments in tropical countries to
ascertain this point, but I daresay I shall never get any returns.
Secondly, I suspect that a sort of sexual selection has been the most
powerful means of changing the races of man. I can show that the
different races have a widely different standard of beauty. Among
savages the most powerful men will have the pick of the women, and they
will generally leave the most descendants.
I have collected a few notes on Man, but I do not suppose I shall ever
use them. Do you intend to follow out your views, and if so would you
like at some future time to have my few references and notes?
I am sure I hardly know whether they are of any value, and they are at
present in a state of chaos.


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