But my view is, and I thought I had made it clear, that the female has (in most cases) been simply prevented from acquiring the gay tints of the male (even when there was a tendency for her to inherit it) because it was hurtful; and, that when protection is not needed, gay colours are so generally acquired by both sexes as to show that inheritance by both sexes of colour variations is the most usual, when not prevented from acting by Natural Selection.

The colour itself may be acquired either by sexual selection or by other unknown causes.  There are, however, difficulties in the very wide application you give to sexual selection which at present stagger me, though no one was or is more ready than myself to admit the perfect truth of the principle or the immense importance and great variety of its applications.  Your chapters on Man are of intense interest, but as touching my special heresy not as yet altogether convincing, though of course I fully agree with every word and every argument which goes to prove the “evolution” or “development” of man out of a lower form.  My only difficulties are as to whether you have accounted for every step of the development by ascertained laws.  Feeling sure that the book will keep up and increase your high reputation and be immensely successful, as it deserves to be, believe me, dear Darwin, yours very faithfully,

ALFRED R. WALLACE.

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Down, Beckenham, Kent, S.E.  January 30, 1871.

My dear Wallace,—­Your note has given me very great pleasure, chiefly because I was so anxious not to treat you with the least disrespect, and it is so difficult to speak fairly when differing from anyone.  If I had offended you, it would have grieved me more than you will readily believe.  Secondly, I am greatly pleased to hear that Vol.  I. interests you; I have got so sick of the whole subject that I felt in utter doubt about the value of any part.  I intended when speaking of the female not having been specially modified for protection to include the prevention of characters acquired by the [male symbol] being transmitted to the [female symbol]; but I now see it would have been better to have said “specially acted on,” or some such term.  Possibly my intention may be clearer in Vol.  II.  Let me say that my conclusions are chiefly founded on a consideration of all animals taken in a body, bearing in mind how common the rules of sexual differences appear to be in all classes.  The first copy of the chapter on Lepidoptera agreed pretty closely with you.  I then worked on, came back to Lepidoptera, and thought myself compelled to alter it, finished sexual selection, and for the last time went over Lepidoptera, and again I felt forced to alter it.