nd in a certain
sense beautiful, but not the calm, sweet, warm beauty of our own fields,
and there is none of the brightness of our own flowers; a field of
buttercups, a hill of gorse or of heather, a bank of foxgloves and a
hedge of wild roses and purple vetches surpass in _beauty_ anything I
have ever seen in the tropics. This is a favourite subject with me, but
I cannot go into it now.

Send the accompanying note to Mr. Stevens immediately. You will see what
I say to him about my collections here. Java is the richest of all the
islands in birds, but they are as well known as those of Europe, and it
is almost impossible to get a new one. However, I am adding fine
specimens to my collection, which will be altogether the finest known of
the birds of the Archipelago, except perhaps that of the Leyden Museum,
who have had naturalists collecting for them in all the chief islands
for many years with unlimited means.

Give my kind love to mother, to whom I will write next time.--Your
affectionate brother,

ALFRED R. WALLACE.

* * * * *

TO G. SILK[16]

_Singapore. January 20, 1862._

My dear George,-- ... On the question of marriage we probably differ
much. I believe a good wife to be the greatest blessing a man can enjoy,
and the only road to happiness, but the qualifications I should look for
are probably not such as would satisfy you. My opinions have changed
much on this point: I now look at intellectual companionship as quite a
secondary matter, and should my good stars ever send me an affectionate,
good-tempered and domestic wife, I shall care not one iota for
accomplishments or even for education.

I cannot write more now. I do not yet know how long I shall be here,
perhaps a month. Then ho! for England!--In haste, yours most
affectionately,

ALFRED R. WALLACE.

PART II

I.--The Discovery of Natural Selection

"There are not many joys in human life equal to the joy of the
sudden birth of a generalisation, illuminating the mind after a
long period of patient research. What has seemed for years so
chaotic, so contradictory, and so problematic takes at once its
proper position within an harmonious whole. Out of the wild
confusion of facts and from behind the fog of
guesses--contradicted almost as soon as they are born--a stately
picture makes its appearance, like an Alpine chain suddenly
emerging in all its grandeur from th