Page:A narrative of travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro.djvu/13

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INTRODUCTION.
ix

this year he has produced a standard work on "Darwinism," which is the most perfect as well as the most readable form in which the subject has yet been presented.

Such worthy work has not been without recognition. Mr. Wallace was awarded in 1868 the Royal Medal of the Royal Society for his many contributions to theoretical and practical zoology, among which his discussion of the conditions which have determined the distribution of animals in the Malay archipelago, as well as his writings on the origin of species, found prominent mention. In 1870, he received the Gold Medal of the Société de Géographie of Paris. In 1876 he was President of the Biological Section at the Glasgow meeting of the British Association. After the publication of his work on land nationalisation a Land Nationalisation Society was formed, of which Mr. Wallace is President. In 188 he was awarded a Civil List pension of £200 a year, in recognition of the amount and value of his scientific work; and in 1882 the University of Dublin conferred upon him the honorary degree of LL.D.

On all occasions Mr. Wallace has persistently exalted Mr. Darwin's work, and, comparatively speaking, made light of his own. Full well may we say with Mr. Darwin, "You are the only man I ever heard of who persistently does himself an injustice, and never demands justice. But you cannot burke yourself, however much you may try." The intelligent minds which honour the name of Darwin, will not forget to honour that of his fellow-discoverer, Alfred Russel Wallace.

G. T. B.