191.
TO PROF. POULTON
_Frith Hill, Godalming. October 20, 1887._
My dear Poulton,--It is very interesting to me to see how very generally
the facts are in accordance with theory, and I am only surprised that
the exceptions and irregularities are not more numerous than they are
found to be. The only difficult case, that of _D. euphorbiae_, is due
probably to incomplete knowledge. Are lizards and sea-birds the only, or
even the chief, possible enemies of the species? They evidently do not
prevent its coming to maturity in considerable abundance, and it is
therefore no doubt preserved from its chief enemies during its various
stages of growth.
The only point on which I differ from you--as you know--is your
acceptance, as proved, of the theory of sexual colour selection, and
your speaking of insects as having a sense of "the beautiful" in colour,
as if that were a known fact. But that is a wide question, requiring
full discussion.--Yours very faithfully,
ALFRED R. WALLACE.
* * * * *
TO SIR FRANCIS DARWIN
_Frith Hill, Godalming. November 20, 1887._
Dear Mr. Darwin,--Many thanks for the copy of your father's "Life and
Letters," which I shall read with very great interest (as will all the
world). I was not aware before that your father had been so
distressed--or rather disturbed--by my sending him my essay from
Ternate, and I am very glad to feel that his exaggerated sense of honour
was quite needless so far as I was concerned, and that the incident did
not in any way disturb our friendly relations.
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