Page "On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection" Paragraph 7

The papers were read to the Linnean Society of London on 1 July 1858, by the Secretary John Joseph Bennett.

Neither author was present.

Darwin was attending the funeral of his son, and Wallace was still in Borneo.

The meeting was chaired by the President of the society, Thomas Bell, who had written up the description of Darwin's reptile specimens from the Beagle expedition.