Modified from a transcription by Charles H. Smith originally published at: http://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/wallace/S083.htm.

My attention has been called to the paper in the 'Annals' for June last on the above subjects, the author of which seems to me to have quite misunderstood and much misrepresented the facts and reasonings of Mr. Darwin on the question. As some of your readers may conclude, if it remains unanswered, that it is therefore unanswerable, I ask permission to make a few remarks on what seem to me its chief errors.