WCP1448

[1]¹

To W. B. Hemsley, Esq.

Broadstone, Wimborne.

Dec. 4th. 1904

Dear Mr Hemsley[,] Will you be so good as to give me the title of my book within the last 20 years or so, giving a popular account of the provinces of Bahia & Pernambuco in Brazil with special reference to the distribution of forests, & the vegetation generally.

A young friend of mine is now in Trinidad collecting insects and general zoology, & was thinking of going next to British Guiana, but that region does not seem very promising as recent collectors have found, and, as in all British Colonies, travelling and living are very dear.

Mr. Karl Jordan², Entomological Curator to the Hon. L. Rothschild³ at Tring, recommends the parts of Brazil I have named as the least known for insects of Eastern South America, — but as insect-life depends absolutely on there being large tracts of virgin forests & woodlands, I want to know the present condition of the country, & whether there are plenty of foreststracts easily accessible.

If you know any English botanist or plant-lover now living in that part of Brazil I should be glad of his address, as then I could get information at first hand.

Miss North⁴gives a delightful account of the hill country inland from Rio, but the more northern districts may be less favourable, and open grassy Campos are almost desert for the Entolomologist.

Hoping to see you again if you are coming this way next summer,

Believe me Yours very faithfully | Alfred R. Wallace. [signature]

[1]¹

Broadstone, Wimborne

Dec. 4th 1904

To W.B. Hemsley Esq.²

Dear Mr Hemsley will you be so good as to give me the title of any book within the last 20 years or so, giving a popular account of the provinces of Bahia & Pernambuco in Brazil with special reference to the distribution of forests, & the vegetation generally.

A young friend of mine is now in Trinidad collecting insects and general geology & and was thinking of going next to British Guiana, but that region does not seem very promising as recent collectors have found, and, as in all British colonies, travelling and living are very dear.

Mr. Karl Jordan³entomological curator to the Hon. L. Rothschild⁴ at Tring⁵, recommends the parts of Brazil I have named as the least known for insects of Eastern South America, — but as insect-life depends absolutely on there being large tracts of virgin forest & woodlands, I want to know the present condition of the country, & whether there are plenty of forest-tracts easily accessible.

If you know any English botanist or plant-lover now living in that part of Brazil I should be glad of his address, as then I could get information at first-hand.

Miss North⁶ gives a delightful account of the hill country inland from Rio, but the northern districts may be less favourable, and open grassy Campos [Portuguese: fields] are almost desert for the Entomologist.

Hoping to see you again if you are coming this way next summer | Believe me yours very faithfully | Alfred R. Wallace.