The death of Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace on Friday of
last week, in his ninety-first year, removes the last of the great Victorian men of science. In early life he exchanged the hum- drum career of a land surveyor and architect for that of an ex- plorer, and joined Bates in his memorable tour on the Amazon, which he followed up with prolonged travels in the Malay Archipelago. But patient investigation went hand in hand with adventure in these romantic and perilous years, and led him independently to arrive at the doctrine of natural selection. In view, however, of the priority of Darwin's researches he chivalrously declined to claim credit for a discovery with which, however, his name must always be associated. But it was a contest of chivalry, for Darwin's behaviour was equally honourable. As a man of science Wallace was markedly unorthodox; he disbelieved in vac- cination, upheld spiritualism, and dissented strongly from the later developments of the evolution theory, though his personal friendship with Darwin was never impaired. His versatility and mental activity were remarkable, and in the last edition of Who's Who he described himself as " Occa- sional author ;President of the Land Nationalisation Society."
Previous page
