Evolution by Natural Selection

The first published expression of the theory of evolution by natural selection was printed July 1, 1858, in the Journal of the Linnaean Society of London in the form of two essays: one by Charles Darwin and one by Alfred Russel Wallace. These two essays, along with Darwin's preliminary Sketch of 1842 and his Essay of 1844 (neither of which were published until 1909), and a foreword by Sir Gavin de Beer have been brought together in this commemorative centenary volume. The Sketch of 1842 is by no means a polished essay; in fact, as Sir Francis Darwin points out in his introduction, it "is more like hasty memoranda of what was clear to himself, than material for the convincing of others." The Essay of 1844 is an expansion of the Sketch written from memory and apparently was not intended for publication. As little known precursors of the Darwin-Wallace Essays of 1858, the Sketch of 1842 and the Essay of 1844 make fascinating reading. This year has seen a spate of magazine articles, scholarly essays, and books celebrating the hundredth birthday of the first publication of the theory of evolution by natural selection; more than likely 1959 will also be a bumper year, commemorating the centenary of the Origin of Species. Many of these writings have been preoccupied with the development of Darwin's ideas on the origin of species. It is refreshing to be able to read Darwin's own words on this subject and to have them put into such clear perspective by Sir Gavin de Beer in his foreword to this particularly appropriate commemorative volume.