Parkstone, Dorset.
March 26th. 1898
My dear Clement Reid1
I return your draft Report on the Caves: There is only one suggestion I have to make, which is — that the absence of a special cave-fauna — imay2 be partially, or wholly, due to the too small extent of the cave, and its having two clear openings from above, down which living insects & other creatures would be continually falling & thus prevent specialisation by [illeg. word crossed out] intercrossing. The caves which produce a specialised fauna — as the Adelberg and Great Mammoth [2] are of [illeg.] extent — many [illeg.], with numerous ramifying branches, descending very deep into the earth and with subterranean waters. Ridley's dark cave was but ½ mile in all, apparently no ramifying branches, and also nearly level, as he mentions no descent. These conditions render it altogether unsuitable for the production of a specialised[sic] fauna — any more than our Peak Cavern & others, — and I do not think it safe to found any general conclusions on this absence. It may not be worth while to explore more [3] of these Caves for remains of prehistoric man, — but should any other caves be found in the tropics approaching the extent and conditions of the Carniola or Kentucky caves, I should anticipate equally or even more interesting results in specialised animals. At all events it would be a great pity to check any such exploration by a theory of its [illeg. word crossed out] uselessness, founded on such very limited experience as that of these Caves.
Perhaps it would be well to submit your draft & these [4] remarks to Sir W. Flower3 & let him decide on the nature of the Report.
Believe me | Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]
Clement Reid Esq.
Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP1469.7617)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
To Clement Reid Esq.
Parkstone,
Dorset.
March 28th, 1896
My dear Clement Reid
I return your draft Report on the Caves. There is only one suggestion I have to make, which is — that the absence of a special cave-fauna may be partially, or wholly, due to the too small extent of the cave, and its having two clear openings from above, down which living insects & other creatures would be continually falling & thus prevent specialisation by intercrossing. The caves which produce a specialised fauna — as the Adelberg and Great Mammoth are of immense extent — many miles, with numerous ramifying branches, descending very deep into the earth and with subterranean waters. Ridley's dark cave was but 1/2 mile in all, apparently no ramifying branches, and also nearly level, as he mentions no descent. These conditions render it altogether unsuitable for the production of a specialised fauna — any more than our Peak Cavern & others, — and I do not think it safe to found any general conclusion on this absence. It may not be worth while to explore more of these caves for remains of prehistoric man,— but should any other caves be found in the tropics approaching the extent and conditions of the Carniola or Kentucky caves, I should anticipate equal or even more interesting results in specialised animals. At all events it would be a great pity to check any such exploration by a theory of its uselessness, founded on such very limited experience as that of these caves.
Perhaps it would be well to submit your draft & these remarks to Sir W.Flower1 & let him decide on the nature of the Report.
Believe me Yours very truly Alfred R. Wallace.
Status: Draft transcription [Transcription (WCP1469.1248)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
To Clement Reid Esq.
Parkstone,
Dorset.
March 28th, 1896
My dear Clement Reid
I return your draft Report on the Caves. There is only one suggestion I have to make, which is — that the absence of a special cave-fauna may be partially, or wholly, due to the too small extent of the cave, and its having two clear openings from above, down which living insects & other creatures would be continually falling & thus prevent specialisation by intercrossing. The caves which produce a specialised fauna — as the Adelberg and Great Mammoth are of immense extent — many miles, with numerous ramifying branches, descending very deep into the earth and with subterranean waters. Ridley's dark cave was but 1/2 mile in all, apparently no ramifying branches, and also nearly level, as he mentions no descent. These conditions render it altogether unsuitable for the production of a specialised fauna — any more than our Peak Cavern & others, — and I do not think it safe to found any general conclusion on this absence. It may not be worth while to explore more of these caves for remains of prehistoric man,— but should any other caves be found in the tropics approaching the extent and conditions of the Carinola or Kentucky caves, I should anticipate equal or even more interesting results in specialised animals. At all events it would be a great pity to check any such exploration by a theory of its uselessness, founded on such very limited experience as that of these caves.
Perhaps it would be well to submit your draft & these remarks to Sir W.Flower1 & let him decide on the nature of the Report.
Believe me Yours very truly Alfred R. Wallace.
Status: Draft transcription [Transcription (WCP1469.4335)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
Please cite as “WCP1469,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 29 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP1469