WCP1972

[1]¹

To C.Darwin.) Rose Hill, Dorking. Jan'y 17th, 1877

My dear Darwin Many thanks for your valuable new edition of the "Orchids"² which I see contains a great deal of new matter of the greatest interest. I am amazed at your continuous work, — but I a suppose after all these years of it, it is impossible for you to remain idle. I, on the contrary, am very idle, and feel inclined to do nothing but stroll about this beautiful country, and read all ki kinds of miscellaneous literature.

I have asked my friend Mr Mott³ to send you the last of his remarkable papers — on Haeckel.⁴ But the part I hope you will read with as much interest as I have done, is that on the deposits of Carbon, & the part it has played & must be playing in Geological changes. He seems to have got the idea from some German book, but it seems to be very important, and I wonder it never occurred to Sir Charles Lyell.⁵ If the calculations as to the quantity of undecomposed carbon deposited are any thing approaching to correctness, the results must be important. Hoping you are in pretty good health

Believe me Yours very faithfully Alfred R. Wallace.

To C[harles].Darwin. Rose Hill, Dorking. Jan’[uar]y 17th. 1877

My Dear Darwin

Many thanks for your invaluable new addition of the "Orchids" which I see contains a great deal of new matter of the greatest interest. I am amazed at your continuous work, — but I e suppose after all these years of it, it is impossible for you to re-main idle. I, on the contrary, am very idle, and feel inclined to do nothing but stroll about this beautiful country, and read all ki kinds of miscellaneous literature.

I have asked my friend Mr Mott¹ to send you the last of his remarka-ble papers — on Haeckel². But the part I hope you will read with as much interest as I have done, is that on the deposits of Carbon, & the part it has played & must be playing in Geological changes. He seems to have got the idea from some German book, but it seems to me very important, and I wonder [why] it never occurred to Sir Charles Lyell³. If the calculations as to the quantity of undecomposed carbon deposited are any thing approaching to correctness, the results must be important.

Hoping you are in pretty good health

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

[1] [p. 297]

Rose Hill, Dorking. January 17, 1877.

My dear Darwin, — Many thanks for your valuable new edition of the "Orchids," which I see contains a great deal of new matter of the greatest interest. I am amazed at your continuous work, but I suppose, after all these years of it, it is impossible for you to remain idle. I, on the contrary, am very idle, and feel inclined to do nothing but stroll about this beautiful country, and read all kinds of miscellaneous literature.

[2] I have asked my friend Mr. Mott¹ to send you the last of his remarkable papers — on Haeckel². But the part I hope you will read with as much interest as I have done is that on the deposits of Carbon, and the part it has played and must be playing in geological changes. He seems to have got the idea from some German book, but it seems to me very important, and I wonder if it never occurred to Sir Charles Lyell³. If the calculations as to the quantity of undecomposed carbon deposited are anything approaching to correctness, the results must be important.

Hoping you are in pretty good health, believe me yours very faithfully, | Alfred R. Wallace