WCP2239

Letter (WCP2239.2129)

[1]1

Cambridge, Mass[achusetts],

Febr[uary]. 18th 1870.

Sir,

I am very sorry that the Museum2 can not have the valuable collection of Australian Insects of Mr. Wilson.3

But Prof. Agassiz4 was seriously sick, and even yesterday he has sent to the Museum by order of the physician and has asked, that nobody should send letters to him or write to him in the next time [sic].

Beside this I know, that in this year it would be impossible to ask 1000 Doll[ars] = 200 £ for the entomological Department, because last year Prof. Agassiz has spent 4000 $ for my Department, and now the other department[s] have undoubtedly the right to have the same funds, before I can ask [for] new purchases. [2] Our Australian collection, mostly from Melbourne and Adelaide, is very small — but it is impossible to profit of this happy lot.

I was very interested to be introduced to Mr Wallace, so well known by every naturalist in the world, and I would be very glad to have the favor of a personal introduction.

I presume intend to go to Europe in the middle of May through Paris to my country. I do not know if it will be possible to spend some days in London when I return to Cambridge some months later.

[3] Please do give my love to my dear friend M' Lachlan.5

Yours very truly | Mr. Hagen [signature]

I will be very glad if I should be able to meet Mr M' Lachlan returning to America.

1
Pages 1 and 3 are numbered "159" and "160" in pencil in an unknown hand in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
2
Hagen refers to the Museum of Comparative Zoology founded in 1859 by Louis Agassiz. The museum was designed to illustrate the variety and comparative relationships of animal life. (Winsor, M. P. 1991. Reading the Shape of Nature: Comparative Zoology at the Agassiz Museum. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, pp.9-12).
3
Wilson, Charles Algernon ("Algernon", "Ally") (1818-1884). Australian solicitor, public servant and entomologist; published under the pseudonym "Naturae Amator"; ARW’s cousin, son of his uncle Thomas Wilson (1787-1863).
4
Agassiz, Jean Louis Rodolphe ("Louis") (1807-1873). Swiss-American naturalist, comparative anatomist, and founder of the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology.
5
McLachlan, Robert (1837-1904). British entomologist.

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP2239.2129)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Barrieau, Matthew [2018-08-15] Transcription checked by Beros, Matt [2021-01-08]

Please cite as “WCP2239,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 20 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP2239