Edinburgh
August 12th 1879
My Dear Sir,
Your article gives such a clear and concise account of the theory in all its bearing that I am I am really unable to suggest any alteration. With the exception of, perhaps, what you say in reference to the Antarctic bc. I don't remember, when reading the article, of differences from you on a single point. [2] But then Antarctic ice is a point of so little importance in relation to the theory that it is hardly worth while making any allusions to it. I have in a recent paper gone more fully into the subject of the Antarctic ice. When I go home tonight I shall send you a copy. I fully agree with you that we have no evidence of there ever having been a North pole ice cap. [3] I agree with you also in attributing the Loess to the damming back of the Rhine and Elbe or by land ice filling the English Channel and North Sea. See Geol. Mag. from June 1870 p. 277, The observation of New Peach and Horn on the glaciation of the Shetland and Orkney Islands, which I hope will shortly be published, prove beyond all doubt that these islands were glaciated from by land ice from the North Sea coming from Scandinavia.
I shall call on [4] Mr. Bucham[?] and see if he can give us any information as to observations made at the equator[?]. The point to which you refer, like that of the Temperature Space, I fear has been much overlooked by physicists.
I am delighted to hear that you intend bringing out a work shortly on that interesting subject the Dispersion[?] of Animals and that the leading idea of your article is to be embodied in it.
Love | Yours ever truly | James Croll1[signature]
Alfred R. Wallace Esq.
Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP2403.2293)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
[1] [p. 335]
EDINBURGH,
12th August 1879.
Alfred R. Wallace, Esq.
MY DEAR SIR, — Your article gives such a clear and correct account of the theory in all its bearings, that [2] [p. 336] I am really unable to suggest any alterations. With the exception of, perhaps, what you say in reference to the Antarctic ice, I don't remember, when reading the article, of differing from you on a single point. But the Antarctic ice is a point of so little importance in relation to the theories, that it is hardly worth while making any allusion to it. I have in a recent paper gone more fully into the subject of the Antarctic ice. When I go home to-night, I shall send you a copy. I fully agree with you that we have no evidence of there ever having been a North Polar ice-cap. I agree with you also in attributing the loess to the damming back of the Rhine and Elbe, or to land ice filling the English Channel and North Sea. See Geological Magazine for June 1870, p. 277. The observations of Messrs. Peach1 and Horne2 on the glaciation of the Shetland and Orkney Islands, which I hope will shortly be published, prove beyond all doubt that these islands were glaciated by land ice from the North Sea coming from Scandinavia.
I shall call on Mr. Buchan3 and see if he can give me any information as to observations made at the equator. The point to which you refer, like that of the temperature of space, I fear, has been much overlooked by physicists.
I am delighted to hear that you intend bringing out a work shortly on that interesting subject, the dispersal of animals, and that the leading idea of your article is to be embodied in it. —
I am, yours ever truly, | JAMES CROLL.
Status: Draft transcription [Published letter (WCP2403.6821)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
Please cite as “WCP2403,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP2403