WCP2359

[1]¹

Melbourne Botanic Garden.

13/4/78

My dear Sir,

Your letter of the 20th Jan[uary] duly to hand, I received yesterday from the Enquirer of the "Durham" the skins which you kindly sent, many thanks for same. I shall now be able to go on with the case of Birds for Mrs. F. There is no chance of getting anything direct from Malucca, as we have little or no communication, and I know of no one there to whom I could write. However I may see a chance on some future occasion. You will be sorry hear that your former assistant C. Allen², has died at the [1 word illeg.] (Borneo I suppose) I sent him a letter requesting insects but it was returned to me marked (not living) and I have learned since from a friend of mine who as just come from Singapore that he is dead.

In regard to your 2 Vols of [1 word illeg.] Distribution I received last year, and acknowledged in by return of post, a fact which you must have [2]³ overlooked, I have explained this to Messrs. [name illeg.] & co in Melbourne who wrote me on the subject, regarding your projected work on Australasia, can I be of any service to you in regard to information of any kind? I can send you journals re [1 word illeg.] if you would like them. This I should have much pleasure in doing. I do not consider that the corrected list of Australian [1 word illeg.] Masters does him much credit. In the first place numbers are left out altogether and 2 the localities are far from perfect. The journal catalogue too is very imperfect many quite common [1 word illeg.] being left out. I am sorry that I could not send Mr[?] [name illeg.] anything new, but I have sent him things which he was much pleased to have, and I will [1 word illeg.] send him many more. I have already written to Mr. Bates. I will send him (could you kindly ^p[lease?] inform him) a box of insects for Chief Inquirer of P.P. Durham, and he might send a return lot of same opportunity. I am now collecting extra Australian Longicorn, [3 words illeg.] and I have nothing from Manilla, W. Indies, Chili [sic] Peru or Amazons. I have such numbers [3]⁴ of Foreign insects that I have resolved to collect only my 4 favourite families. If Mr. Pascoe has not time to send names I shall be glad of them without names. H. [name illeg.] of Paris sent me [2 words illeg.] in exchange for thos of Australia, I know however that you will speak a good and for me to your Friends Pascoe & Bates, and I will [1 word illeg.] compensate them as I can. I have just received a letter from Mackay of Sydney, saying that he has been looking up all available information and he says that by a considerable number of sp[ecies] my collection of Australian Longicorn are the finest & most exclusive in the world. I am very proud of this I can assure you, as I have not been collecting more than 10 years, and have nearly 700 species — a fact which I should like communicated to the [2 words illeg.] as no one dreamed of a like number being taken in Australia.

I shall send you something good soon.

With kind regards & thanks | [3 words illeg.] | [2 words illeg.] | C. French [signature]

A. R. Wallace Esq.

[4] Pray me your interest with Mr. Bates & Mr. Pascoe, you have enough of one [2 words illeg.] that I shall return as far as lays in my power.

CF.