WCP2090

[1]

Alfred Wallace. Esq

London

South African Museum

May 30^th 1867.

My dear Wallace.

I forward to you in charge of my friend M^r. Nash,¹ 2^nd Officer of the "Union Steam C^o Steamer "Anglian" which leaves tomorrow for Southampton - your old store box containing 144 species 230 specimens of S. African Rhopalocera in return for your contribution to the S. A. Museum (69 species 80 sp^ns) I have selected you the best we have, & every species I could master. If you think our debt paid, I shall be glad — if you think it overpaid Trimen,² who is now home, will bring out anything for us & the smallest contribution thankfully received!! I wish our sp^ns had been more perfect, but you know we have no insects in the neighbourhood of Cape Town, & all I get come from correspondents. Trimen will tell you the barren nature of this place. Kindly forward him the accomp. box. I wish I could be with you two to hear some of your "yarns" on the "affinities" & "imitations"!!

Kind regards to Bates³ and believe me | yours very sincerely | E. L. Layard⁴ [signature]

I direct the Box to the Zoological Society in case you have left your po address.

The steamers agent if you don’t get the box, which post takes privately is Tho^s Hill Esq⁵

U.S. C^o agent

Southampton.