Text Online
From:
Walter Hood Fitch
To:
Alfred Russel Wallace
Date:
1867?
Source of text:
Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP6/1/2
Summary:
No summary available.
Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
No summary available.
Has decided to accept papers treating of new researches. These will be inserted prominently in journal [Quarterly Journal of Science]. Would be happy to hear from JH.
No summary available.
Describes his experiments in fertilising Oncidium flexuosum and comparison with Notylia.
Has been examining Catasetum.
Encloses seeds of two species of Gesneria and describes hairs in the seed capsule. Hairs in other plants seem to have a different function.
Starting tomorrow for a botanical excursion on the Continent.
Sends a correction for the ninth edition of JH's Outlines Astr.
Acknowledges receipt of paper on nebulae.
On a correction to a report [JH's obituary on William Whewell].
Avoid forcing metric system on India. Hopes Commission will adopt 'geometrical system of [A. T.] Kupffer and others. Winter weather. Family health and news. Alexander S. Herschel gave lecture at Leeds; reports many Japanese students at Glasgow. JH predicts that industrious Japanese may supplant Europe and America in next century. Details of JH's humorous plan for 'telegraphic personal transfer' [teleportation] to accelerate travel. Rash of bombings by mail in London. Attacks on police.
No summary available.
Discusses displaying solar autographs to the best advantage. Invites JH's son Alexander to read his meteor paper at the Cambridge Philosophical Society.
William Clowes [printer for J. Murray] estimates that Variation will come to a first volume of 648 pages and a second volume of 624 pages – which is too much for volumes the same size as Origin. Murray proposes a larger size.
No summary available.
Sorry about enormous size of Variation MS, but cannot shorten it now. If JM is afraid to publish, CD will consider agreement cancelled. Suggests he ask someone with judgment to read the MS. Has written concluding chapter on man. Whether it will be included depends on size of volume.
Thanks CD for his kindness and hopes one day to return it.
Finds more and more observations fall in with CD’s theory but still finds it difficult to account for the sudden leaps in the fossil record and to explain why some organisms first appear as such high forms.
Returns some of WBT’s skulls.
His MS is with printer, but book [Variation] will probably not be out until November.
On Haeckel’s Generelle Morphologie; the logical argument for natural selection is still incomplete. THH jumps over the hole by an act of faith.
Gives up plan to have Haeckel’s Generelle morphologie translated.
His big book [Variation] has gone to printer. Thinks of adding a chapter on man.
Will order Duke of Argyll’s book [Reign of law (1867)].
"Nature never made species mutually sterile [by selection]; nor will man.–"
No summary available.
Comments on EH’s "great work" [Generelle Morphologie].
An English translation "hopeless".
Asks about EH’s expedition.
MS of Variation sent to printers.
Fritz Müller working on plants.
CD annoyed at large size of Variation. Suggests printing detailed parts in small type. JM can, of course, decline to publish altogether.