Wallace and Bates in the Tropics: An Introduction to the Theory of Natural Selection, Based on the Writings of Alfred Russel Wallace & Henry Walter Bates

Charles Darwin is the man most closely associated with the theory of evolution by means of natural selection, but others made vital contributions to its discovery. One was Alfred Russel Wallace, a self-taught naturalist who spent four years collecting and studying the plant and animal life of the Amazon Basin and another wight years in the Malay Archipelago. On the basis of his observations he formulated his own theory of natural selection nd sent an outline to Darwin, precipitating the publication of Origin of Species in 1859. Another was Henry Walter Bates, who traveled with Wallace to the Amazon rain forest in 1848 and found "a most beautiful proof" for the theory of natural selection during his eleven-year stay in South America. These two intrepid naturalists explored tropical areas where no European had ventured before, and few do today. Both wrote fascinating accounts of their travels, adventures, and discoveries. Barbara G. Beddall has made generous selections from the writing of Wallace and Bates to how these thoughtful pioneer scientists observed and documented the multiplicity of tropical species and gradually reached conclusions that helped revolutionize nineteenth century thought. Mrs. Beddall's commentary clearly explains the impact and implications of the theory of evolution by means of natural selection and the intellectual climate in which it was discovered.