Salins (Jura) France
22 feb. 77
Dear Sir
I am reading with the greatest pleasure & profit, your splendid work: "The geographical Distribution of animals".1 Having paid much attention to Geographical Geology, for more than 30 years, and having past many years of my life travelling about, in both hemisphere [sic], I have tried two very imperfect work [sic] on the subject. One, I send you to day by post; is a very rought [sic] sketch of the Earth during the jurassic period, published 17 years ago;2 it is extracted from a work, on the Jura formations all over the world, which will be without interest for you. But I beg you [2] to read, what I say about the dry lands & the oceans during the Jura period. You will remark, perhaps, that I call attention, to the distribution of Lands during the other great geological periods; and that I intended to publish a whole atlas of Maps showing it. Until now I have not publish [sic] it yet. However several of those maps have been used, by my late friend the late Louis Agassiz3 for his lectures at the University of Cambridge U. S., with my permission; namely: the Earth during the Cretaceous period, and also during the new red Sandstone period.
In 1861, I published also the first essay of a Geological Map of the world;4 I mean the first exact Geol. Map; for my friend Dr. Ami Boné5 has published in 1845, a sketch, colouring all part [sic] of the earth known or unknown, after theoretical [3] views. Mine on the contrary is based & contains only facts, well studied; leaving in white all the unknown. That map in 8 sheets, was published without text. The edition having run out, I have published one year ago a second Edition, and this time with a Text in 4to.
If I know how, I will send you with pleasure a copy of the Text, with the reduction Geol. Map of the world, and I will beg you the permission to call your attention, on several parts of it, relating to the probable distribution of Lands & water during the different geological periods. Please give an address in London, & the work will be send [sic] to you at once.
I send6 you, a few remarks suggested by the careful reading of your work. I hope you [4] will excuse my boldness in doing so; but it will show you how interested I am, in studying your fine and good work.
Not being a zoologist, I have no opinion about the views of Lamark7 [sic], Geoffroy St Hilaire,8 Darwin9 & yourself; only as a geologist, I am more of the opinion of the Cuvier's school in regard fossils remains, you see I am a candid man.
Excuse my bad english; but I am a frenchman by birth, and I have never being [sic] able to write, but broken English.
very truly yours | Jules Marcou10 [signature] | F.C.G.S.
address: Salins (Jura), France.
A. R. Wallace Esq. F.L.S. England.
Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP2282.2172)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
vol. I. p. 77. Australian region & Australian sub-region; the same name for the whole & only a part!
p. 78 The second, or Chilian sub-region. There is an error. On the Map the number is
I for the Chilian sub-region, and number
II or second, is the Brazilian sub-region.
p. 109 & 112. Confusion in regard the newer Pliocene.
p. 111 Post Pliocene deposits & caverns in algeria [sic].
- — - — that the glacial cold did not extend so far south. old glaciers have been found in Marow, by Hooker & Maro near Granada in Spain, & even at or near Blidah in the atlas of algeria [sic].
p. 112. Pliocene of Oeninghen in Switzerland; and p. 166, you say "Upper Miocene of Oeninghen in Switzerland". The last [2] is the true age. Nothing Pliocene exist at Oeninghen.
p. 123. northern China; we do not know from what deposits these remains of Hyena, Tapir, etc come from. It is merely a guess.
p. 129. Nebraska; it is now Dakota, by the new division of Western Territories.
p. 129. After California, add Wyoming, New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado & Idaho.
p. 134 & 160. Triassic coal of north Carolina; it is Permian (Dyas) older than the species of upper Trias of Würtemberg (Stuttgart), & England. The Dromatherium sylvestre of Emmons is certainly, until now, the oldest mammal.
[in margin by ARW] Triassic ap. Lyell.
p. 166. Freshwater fish are almost unknown in the Tertiary deposits of Europe. But they are common at Aix (Provence) Oeninghen, Kronenberg, Monte Bolca (Italie), Menat (auvergne)
[3] p. 166 the number of 1300 species of Miocene insects, has been largely increased, by Oustalet see his memoir on Insects (in french), in the annales de Géologie Paris 1875?
Distribution of Extinct animals; the authors do not notice anywhere the numerous foot prints or Ichnology, in the Trias of Connecticut, & in the Carboniferous rocks of Missouri & Kansas, etc.
Status: Draft transcription [Enclosure (WCP2282.5186)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
Please cite as “WCP2282,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on