WCP1873

To C.Darwin.) 9, St.Mark's Crescent, Regent’s Park, N.W.

Nov'r. 19th. 1866

Dear Darwin Many thanks for the 4^th.Ed. Of the "Origin", which I am glad to see grows as vigorously at each moult, although it undergoes no metamorphosis. How curious it is that Dr Wells¹ should so clearly have seen the principle of Nat. Selection 50 years ago and that it should have struck no one that it was a great principle of universal application in Nature!

We are going to have a a discussion on "Mimicry, as producing abnormal sexual characters" at the Entomological to night. I have a butterfly (Diadena) of which the female is metallic blue, the male dusky brown contrary to the rule in all other species of the genus, & in almost all inserts; — but the explanation is easy; — it mimics a metallic Euploea, and so gets a protection perhaps more efficient than its allies derive from their sombre colours, & which females require much more than males. I read a paper on this at the B.Ass'n. Have you the report published at Nottingham in a volume of Dr. Robertson, if so you can tell me if my paper is printed in full?

I suppose you have read Agassiz' marvellous theory of the "Gt. Amazonian Glacier! 2000 miles long!!! I presume that will be a little too much even for you. I have been writing a little popular paper on "Glacial Theories" for the Quarterly Journal of Science of Jan. next in which I stick up for Glaciers in N. America and Ice bergs in the Amazon!

I was very glad to hear from Lubbock that your health is per[m]anently improved. I hope therefore you will be able to give us a volume per. annum of your "op. mag." with all the facts as you now have them, leaving additions to come in new editions.

I am working a little at another family of my butterflies & find the usual interesting & puzzling cases of variation, but no such phenomena as in the Papilionidae.

With best wishes Believe me My dear Darwin | Yours very faithfully Alfred R. Wallace

To C. Darwin.) 9, St. Mark’s Crescent, Regent’s Park, N.W.

Nov’r. 19th.1866

Dear Darwin

Many thanks for the 4th. Ed[ition] of the "Origin", which I am glad to see grows so vigorously at each moult, although it undergoes no metamorphosis. How curious it is that Dr. Wells should so clearly have seen the principle of Nat[ural] Selection 50 years ago and that it should have struck no one that it was a great principle of universal application in Nature!

We are going to have a discussion on "Mimicry, as producing abnormal sexual characters" at the Entomological to night. I have a butterfly (Diadema) of which the female is metallic blue, and the male dusky brown contrary to the rule in all other species of the genus, & in almost all insects; — but the explanation is easy, — it mimics a metallic Euploea, and so gets a protection perhaps more efficient than its allies derive from their sombre colours, & which females require much more than males. I read a paper on on this at the B[ritish] Ass[ociatio]n¹. Have you the report published at Nottingham in a volume by Dr. Robertson, if so you can tell me if my paper is printed in full?

I suppose you have read Agassiz²’ marvellous theory of the, Great Gt. Amazonian Glacier! 2000 miles long!!! I presume that will be a little too much even for you. I have been writing a little popular paper on "Glacial Theories" for the Quarterly Journal of Science of Jan[uary] next in which I stick up for Glaciers in N[orth] America and ice bergs in the Amazon!

I was very glad to hear from Lubbock that your health is permanently improved. I hope therefore you will be able to give us a volume per. annum of your "op[us] mag[num]" with all the facts as you now have time, leaving additions to come in new editions.

I am working a little at another family of my butterflies & find the usual interesting & puzzling cases of variation, bot no such phenomena as in the Papilionidae.

With best wishes | Believe me | My dear Darwin | Yours very faithfully | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

9 St. Mark's Crescent, Regent's Park, N.W. Nov. 19, 1866.

Dear Darwin, — Many thanks for the fourth edition of the "Origin," which I am glad to see grows so vigorously at each moult, although it undergoes no metamorphosis. How curious it is that Dr. Wells should so clearly have seen the principle of Natural Selection fifty years ago, and that it should have struck no one that it was a great principle of universal application in nature!

We are going to have a discussion on "Mimicry, as producing Abnormal Sexual Characters," at the Entomological to-night. I have a butterfly (Diadema) of which the female is metallic blue, the male dusky brown, contrary to the rule in all other species of the genus, and in almost all insects; but the explanation is easy — it mimics a metallic Euploea, and so gets a protection perhaps more efficient than its allies derive from their sombre colours, and which females require much more than males. I read a paper on this at the British Association. Have you the report published at Nottingham in a volume by Dr. Robertson? If so, you can tell me if my paper is printed in full.

I suppose you have read Agassiz's marvellous theory of the Great Amazonian glacier, 2,000 miles long! I presume that will be a little too much, even for you. I have been writing a little popular paper on "Glacial Theories" for the Quarterly Journal of Science of January next, in which I stick up for glaciers in North America and icebergs in the Amazon!

I was very glad to hear from Lubbock that your health is permanently improved. I hope therefore you will be [2] [p. 177] able to give us a volume per annum of your magnum opus, with all the facts as you now have them, leaving additions to come in new editions.

I am working a little at another family of my butterflies, and find the usual interesting and puzzling eases of variation, but no such phenomena as in the Papilionidae. — With best wishes, believe me, my dear Darwin, yours very faithfully, ALFRED R. WALLACE.