Norris of Birmingham, the well-known physiologist, and C.F. Varley,
the well-known electrician, who have all investigated the subject for
years, agree with me both as to the facts and as to the main inferences
to be drawn from them, I am in hopes that you will suspend your judgment
for a time till we exhibit some corroborative symptoms of insanity.
In the meantime I can console you by the assurance that I _don't_ agree
with the _Q.J. of Science_ about bamboo, and that I see no cause to
modify any of my opinions expressed in my article on the "Reign of
Law."--Believe me yours very faithfully,
ALFRED R. WALLACE.
* * * * *
_9 St. Mark's Crescent, N.W. June 23, 1869._
Dear Darwin,--Thank you very much for the copy of your fifth edition of
the "Origin." I have not yet read all the additions, but those I have
looked at seem very interesting, though somewhat brief, but I suppose
you are afraid of its great and rapid growth.
A difficult sexual character seems to me the plumules or battledore
scales on the wings of certain families and genera of butterflies,
almost invariably changing in form with the species and genera in
proportion to other changes, and always constant in each species yet
confined to the males, and so small and mixed up with the other scales
as to produce no effect on the colour or marking of the wings.
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