WCP2322

Letter (WCP2322.2212)

[1]1

Magd[alene]. Coll[ege].2

7 June 1875.

My dear Wallace,

Though I have not been able quite to keep my promise I am not far behind it3. Here is the list of Palaearctic Genera4 — such as I can draw up, working against time. It is quite likely I may have omitted a few, but no great number I think [.] I found Coturnix5 left out at the last moment & this makes me suspicious.

The [1 word illeg] succession of Families & Genera is not to be regarded as mine the arrangement being in the main [2] an adaptation of Sclater6 & Salvin's7 scheme8 which I had to follow first for comparing Nearctic9 with Neotropical10 & now Palaearctic with Nearctic. In like manner some families are recognised which I don't should not in reality[?] admit — e.g. Aedic[several letters illeg]idae[?], Recurvirostr[idae]11 &c & then to be consistent one must regard Cursoriidae12 & others in the same light. The actual no. of Palaearctic species of each genus is not very easily computed & in most cases I have filled up their column in pencil, being uncertain & the uncertainty is to some extent increased by the "lumping"13 propensity of the Russian authorities as well as the diffi want[?] of a good [3] 14list of Père David's15 discoveries.

Yours very trul[]y | Alfred Newton [signature]

1
Text in a different hand in the top right corner reads "313", and in another hand in blue "9".
2
Newton, Alfred (1829-1907), had studied at Magdalene College, Cambridge, graduating in 1853. In 1866 he became the first Professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy at Cambridge. <http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/35221?docPos=1> [accessed 25 March 2015].
3
Newton was providing material for and proof reading the manuscript for Wallace's Geographical Distribution of Animals, eventually published by Macmillan, London in 1876.
4
The Palaearctic covers Europe, Asia north of the Himalaya foothills, northern Africa, and the northern and central parts of the Arabian Peninsula. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/ecozones/Palearctic_ecozone> [accessed 16 March 2015].
5
Coturnix: Quail <http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob3700.htm> [accessed 25 March 2015].
6
Sclater, Philip Lutley (1829-1913). English lawyer, zoologist, and ornithologist. He was Secretary of the Zoological Society of London for 42 years, from 1860-1902. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography <http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/38295?docPos=4> [accessed 13 March 2015].
7
Salvin, Osbert (1835-1898). English naturalist, ornithologist, and herpetologist best known for co-authoring Biologia Centrali-Americana (1879-1915) with Frederick DuCane Godman. This was a 52 volume encyclopedia on the natural history of Central America. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography <http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/24586?docPos=3> [accessed 13 March 2015].
8
Sclater identified six zoogeographic regions of the world according to their bird life. This concept was developed by subsequent writers and Sclater's terminology remains in use to this day. Sclater, P. L. (1858). On the general geographical distribution of the members of the class Aves. Zoological Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society 2: 130-145. In 1873 Sclater and Salvin published Nomenclator avium neotropicalium, London. i-viii, 1-163, detailing a list of all the species of birds inhabiting South America.
9
The Nearctic region covers North America. Eurasia and North America were connected by the Bering land bridge during the ice ages, and consequently have similar mammal and bird species. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/ecozones/Palearctic_ecozone> [accessed 16 March 2015].
10
The Neotropical zone incorporates South and Central America, plus the southern part of Mexico, the Caribbean Islands and Florida. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/ecozones/Neotropic_ecozone> [accessed 25 March 2015].
11
Recurvirostridae: Avocets and stilts. British Trust for Ornithology <http://www.bto.org/about-birds/birdfacts/bird-families/stilts> [accessed 25 March 2015].
12
Cursoriidae: Coursers. <http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=DE0A72A7FA1E6DB7>
13
In taxonomy, to classify plants and animals without using minute variations as a basis for the establishment of a large number of different species or genera. Oxford English Dictionary <http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/111141?rskey=wWZtWU&result=5#eid> [accessed 31 March 2015].
14
The text which runs from this point to the end of the letter is written vertically in the top left corner of the first page of the manuscript.
15
Père David: David, Jean Pierre Armand (1826 — 1900). Priest, missionary and naturalist, with expertise in China. <https://www.plantexplorers.com/explorers/biographies/french-missionaries/pere-jean-pierre-armand-david.htm>. Wallace made use of his lists in the Geographical Distribution of Animals.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP2322.2212)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Ghosh, Susan [2015-04-08] Transcription checked by Benny, Ruth [2015-04-08] Transcription checked by Sherwood, Danni [2020-08-10]

Please cite as “WCP2322,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 29 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP2322