WCP2166

[1]¹

64 Derby Square

Douglas Isle of Man

Dec[ember] 8 1879

Dear Sir

Excuse delay in replying to your letter of Nov[ember] 20 more Especially because I fear I have little or no information to send you — I send however a few specimens illustrative of the most marked varieties of Lepidoptera I have met with in the island.

Looking at them as a whole I think they are characterized by darker colour [2] ation than those of the South of England — as are those of Scotland & Ireland — but the differences are not [as] striking as many. It has sometimes [been] fancied there was a tendency to narrower wings — for instance in our Diantheca[?] Cusia[?] compared with the continental form — our Tephronia Censenaria[?] compared with the English — but the bulk of species await to be distinguished, and perhaps you are to blam[e] for leading us to look for something of the soil — ^{in question} [.] Lepidoptera are scarce both in species & [3]² individuals, Except after rock species we have no woods, bogs or heaths — the mountains produce little besides coarse grass.

Only 16³ Butterflies have been seen in the island viz[.] Brassica — Rapie. [sic] Napi. Edusa Cardamines Aglaja [?] Urticae Io Atalanta Cardui Megera Semele Jurtina[?] Pamphilus Phlaeas. Alexis. — a remnant surely of the original stock.

I am much pleased to hear that you are going to deal with the subject of Insular Variation[.] A short note of mine in the EMM Vol 13. p130 [7 words illeg. struck through] which I hoped would have led to [4] a wider discussion than was the case. You have probably seen —

I have not noticed any variation in the size of the Lepidoptera Except the curious one of Vanessa Urticae. This certainly seems very small, but not always quite so small as those sent — but I never⁴ see any approaching the size of an ordinary English Example.

Atalanta¹² which is Even more abundant is of ^the ordinary size.

Yours very truly | Edith Birchall [signature]⁵

Don[’]t return Either box or insect if of any use —

Alfred R Wallace Esq