the chance of seeds from all orders getting drifted to such new spots, as I
have supposed. Did you collect sea-shells in Kerguelen-land? I should
like to know their character.

Your interesting letters tempt me to be very unreasonable in asking you
questions; but you must not give yourself any trouble about them, for I
know how fully and worthily you are employed. (13/2. The rest of the
letter has been previously published in "Life and Letters," II., page 23.)

Besides a general interest about the southern lands, I have been now ever
since my return engaged in a very presumptuous work, and I know no one
individual who would not say a very foolish one. I was so struck with the
distribution of the Galapagos organisms, etc., and with the character of
the American fossil mammifers, etc., that I determined to collect blindly
every sort of fact which could bear any way on what are species. I have
read heaps of agricultural and horticultural books, and have never ceased
collecting facts. At last gleams of light have come, and I am almost
convinced (quite contrary to the opinion I started with) that species are
not (it is like confessing a murder) immutable. Heaven forfend me from
Lamarck nonsense of a "tendency to progression," "adaptations from the slow
willing of animals," etc.! But the conclusions I am led to are not widely
different from his; though the means of change are wholly so. I think I
have found out (here's presumption!) the simple way by which species become
exquisitely adapted to various ends. You will now groan, and think to
yourself, "on what a man have I been wasting my time and writing to." I
should, five years ago, have thought so...(13/3. On the questions here
dealt with see the interesting letter to Jenyns in the "Life and Letters,"
II., page 34.)