WCP1449

Broadstone, Dorset Wimborne

Dec. 8th 1904

To W. B. Hemsley, Esq.¹

Dear Mr Hemsley Thanks for your letter, & your assistant's note. I had already written to Mr. Goddman Godman²but have not heard from him. I think however your friend is mistaken as to the absence of forest in the two provinces³ named. All the best authorities describe the coast belt of forest, from the north of Pernambuco to Rio de Janiero and much further south, as being a most luxuriant ^and typical tropical forest, which at Bahia is more than 100 miles wide and a little further south over 200 miles. At Rio where it is only about 50 miles as at Pernambuco, it is known to be one of richest insect localities but well known. Again, the S. Francisco Valley in the latitude of Bahia has a forest belt from 50 to 100 miles wide and more than 500 long. It is the inland country I most want information about, as this I believe is partially wooded with forest in all the river-valleys. I see, Wills,⁴ to whom your friend refers has written a book on Brazil, which I will consult, and I have no doubt I shall have some useful information from Mr Godman.

Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace

P.S. My friend Prof. Poulton⁵ of Oxford is now preparing the life & travels of Burchell⁶(near a century ago). He went through all the interior of Brazil, & Poulton tells me found abundance of butterflies in favourable places. Miss North,⁷ also, in her 8 months in the mountians of Minas Geraes,⁸ speaks of the abundance of beautiful butterflies in all the wooded valleys even at 3000 (&) 4000 ft elevation. So I am in hopes that ^the Bahia country may be equally rich.

A.R.W.

Broadstone, Dorset Wimborne

Dec. 8th 1904

To W. B. Hemsley, Esq.¹

Dear Mr Hemsley Thanks for your letter, & your assistant's note. I had already written to Mr. Goddman Godman²but have not heard from him. I think however your friend is mistaken as to the absence of forest in the two provinces³ named. All the best authorities describe the coast belt of forest, from the north of Pernambuco to Rio de Janiero and much further south, as being a most luxuriant ^and typical tropical forest, which at Bahia is more than 100 miles wide and a little further south over 200 miles. At Rio where it is only about 50 miles as at Pernambuco, it is known to be one of richest insect localities but well known. Again, the S. Francisco Valley in the latitude of Bahia has a forest belt from 50 to 100 miles wide and more than 500 long. It is the inland country I most want information about, as this I believe is partially wooded with forest in all the river-valleys. I see, Wills,⁴ to whom your friend refers has written a book on Brazil, which I will consult, and I have no doubt I shall have some useful information from Mr Godman.

Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

P.S. My friend Prof. Poulton⁵ of Oxford is now preparing the life & travels of Burchell⁶(near a century ago). He went through all the interior of Brazil, & Poulton tells me found abundance of butterflies in favourable places. Miss North,⁷ also, in her 8 months in the mountains of Minas Geraes,⁸ speaks of the abundance of beautiful butterflies in all the wooded valleys even at 3000 (&) 4000 ft elevation. So I am in hopes that ^the Bahia country may be equally rich.

A.R.W.