From H. W. Bates   24 November 1862

My Dear Mr Darwin

I am now well repaid for the labour of writing the paper in Linn. Trans. having received your warm & discriminating approval.¹ Dr Hooker has also written a most friendly letter on the subject valuing the treatise highly.² Mr Wallace & I discussed the matter last time I was in London & he thinks me entirely right.³ As for the “mob” of Naturalists, I don’t care much about them.⁴ There is only one man in Europe who will be able to follow my reasonings species by species & variety by variety; this is D^r C. Felder of Vienna & I shall be glad to hear from him upon the subject.⁵ As to ordinary Entomologists they cannot be considered scientific men but must be ranked with collectors of postage stamps & crockery.

I wish to have more criticisms from you on the subject, when you are quite at leisure (what an idea!).— I am quite sure I could now put the case much more strongly. But you say the argument is quite clear so I must rest contented. I now believe one of the forms of Leptalis (L. argochloe) is not an immediate descendant from L. Theonoe, as the other varieties are, but has originated (in a similar way) somewhere westward in Andean Valleys & has wandered to the Amazons. It would be tedious here to give reasons. Does it occur to you that a great deal may be unexpectedly learnt by thus thoroughly going into one small group of Natural objects? The more I study them the more I am surprised at the wonderful revelations which spring from them: much more than is explained in my treatise. ⁠⟨⁠two pages missing⁠⟩⁠

I am vain enough to wish to see the paper noticed in some widely circulated publication, think’g it may introduce my book.⁶ Do you know anything of Sir J. Herschel or his address?⁷ I hear he writes those capital monthly summaries of science in the “Cornhill” & would like to send him a copy.⁸