My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org
My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org
384 MY LIFEof brilliant male coloration or marking being due tofemale choice.6. The general permanence of oceanic and continentalareas was first taught by Professor J. D.Dana, the eminent American geologist, and again byDarwin in his " Origin of Species "; but I am, Ibelieve, the only writer who has brought forwarda number of other considerations, geographical andphysical, which, with those of previous writers,establish the proposition on almost incontrovertiblegrounds. My exposition of the subject is given in"Island Life" (chap, vi.), while some additionalarguments are given in my " Studies " (vol. i. chap. ii.).The doctrine may be considered as the only solidbasis forany general study of the geographical distributionof animals, and it is for this reason that Ihave made it the subject of my careful consideration.7. In discussing the causes of glacial epochs Ihave adopted the general views of Mr. James Croll asto the astronomical causes, but have combined themwith geographical changes, and have shown how thelatter, even though small in amount, might producevery important results. In particular I have laidstress on the properties of air and water in equalizingtemperature over the earth, while snow and ice, bytheir immobility, produce cumulative effects ; and thusa lowering of temperature of a few degrees may leadto a country being ice-clad which before was ice-free.This is a vital point which is the very essence ofthe problem of glaciation ;yet it has been altogetherneglected in the various mathematical or physicaltheories which have recently been put forward.Myown discussion of the problem in chapter viii. of
MY CHARACTER- NEW IDEAS 385" Island Life " has never, so far as I know, been controverted,and I still think it constitutes the mostcomplete explanation of the phenomenon yet given.8. In 1880 I published my " Island Life," and thelast chapter but one is "On the Arctic Element inSouth Temperate Floras," in which I gave a solutionof the very remarkable phenomena described by SirJoseph Hooker in his " Introductory Essay on theFlora of Australia." My explanation is founded onknown facts as to the dispersal and distribution ofplants, and does not require those enormous changesin the climate of tropical lowlands during the glacialperiod on which Darwin founded his explanation, andwhich, I believe, no biologist well acquainted eitherwith the fauna or the flora of the equatorial zone hasfound it possible to accept.9. In 1 88 1 I put forth the first idea of mouthgestureas a factor in the origin of language, in areview of E. P. Tylor's "Anthropology," and in 1895I extended it into an article in the FortnightlyReviezv, and reprinted it with a few further correctionsin my " Studies," under the title, " The Expressivenessof Speech or Mouth-Gesture as a Factor intheOrigin of Language." In it I have developed acompletely new principle in the theory of the originof language by showing that every motion of thejaws, Hps, and tongue, together with inward or outwardbreathing, and especially the mute or liquidconsonants at the end of words serving to indicateabrupt or continuous motion, have correspondingmeanings in so many cases as to show a fundamentalconnection. I thus enormously extend the principleof onomatopoeia, in the origin of vocal language.2 CAs
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MY CHARACTER- NEW IDEAS 385" Isl<strong>and</strong> Life " has never, so far as I know, been controverted,<strong>and</strong> I still think it constitutes the mostcomplete explanation <strong>of</strong> the phenomenon yet given.8. In 1880 I published my " Isl<strong>and</strong> Life," <strong>and</strong> thelast chapter but one is "On the Arctic Element inSouth Temperate Floras," in which I gave a solution<strong>of</strong> the very remarkable phenomena described by SirJoseph Hooker in his " Introductory Essay on theFlora <strong>of</strong> Australia." <strong>My</strong> explanation is founded onknown facts as to the dispersal <strong>and</strong> distribution <strong>of</strong>plants, <strong>and</strong> does not require those enormous changesin the climate <strong>of</strong> tropical lowl<strong>and</strong>s during the glacialperiod on which Darwin founded his explanation, <strong>and</strong>which, I believe, no biologist well acquainted eitherwith the fauna or the flora <strong>of</strong> the equatorial zone hasfound it possible to accept.9. In 1 88 1 I put forth the first idea <strong>of</strong> mouthgestureas a factor in the origin <strong>of</strong> language, in areview <strong>of</strong> E. P. Tylor's "Anthropology," <strong>and</strong> in 1895I extended it into an article in the FortnightlyReviezv, <strong>and</strong> reprinted it with a few further correctionsin my " Studies," under the title, " The Expressiveness<strong>of</strong> Speech or Mouth-Gesture as a Factor intheOrigin <strong>of</strong> Language." In it I have developed acompletely new principle in the theory <strong>of</strong> the origin<strong>of</strong> language by showing that every motion <strong>of</strong> thejaws, Hps, <strong>and</strong> tongue, together with inward or outwardbreathing, <strong>and</strong> especially the mute or liquidconsonants at the end <strong>of</strong> words serving to indicateabrupt or continuous motion, have correspondingmeanings in so many cases as to show a fundamentalconnection. I thus enormously extend the principle<strong>of</strong> onomatopoeia, in the origin <strong>of</strong> vocal language.2 CAs
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