Darwin-Wallace papers published August 20, 1858

Today in 1858, the Linnean Society published the Darwin and Wallace papers read before the society that previous July 1st:

“On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection,” By Charles Darwin, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S.., & F.G.S., and Alfred Wallace, Esq. Communicated by Sir Charles Lyell, F.R.S., F.L.S., and J.D. Hooker, Esq., M.D., V.P.R.S., F.L.S., &c.

Go to the Linnean Society website for:

‘The reading of the Darwin and Wallace papers: an historical “non-event”‘ By J. W. T. MOODY, F.L.S., J. Soc. Biblphy nat. Hist. (1971) 5 (6): 474-476

About the Darwin-Wallace Paper

The Darwin-Wallace Paper (complete)

Happy reading!

Oh, the image above is Wallace’s copy of the published papers, with handwritten comments about On the Origin of Species on the right, taken on my visit to the Natural History Museum, London in November 2009:

1860. Feb.

After reading on Darwin’s admirable work “On the Origin of Species”, I find that there is absolute nothing here that is not in almost perfect agreement with that gentlemans facts & opinions.

His work however touches upon & explains in detail many points which I had scarcely thought upon, – as the laws of variation, correlation of growth, sexual selection, the origin of instincts & of neuter insects, & the true explanation of Embryological affinities. Many of his facts & explanations in geographical distribution are also quite new to me & of the highest interest.

AR Wallace [signed] … Amboina

Much more about Wallace’s annotated copy of this publication can be had in chapter 4 of Natural Selection and Beyond: The Intellectual Legacy of Alfred Russel Wallace, edited by Charles H. Smith and George Beccaloni.