WCP2472

[1]¹

Kew

Sept^r 27 [18]97

Dear Mr Wallace,

I am afraid I have been rather guilty of an impertinence which I hope you will forgive.

Romanes is an old acquaintance of mine of many years standing. Personally I like him very much, but for his writings I confess I have no great admiration.

Pray believe me I had [2] no [illeg.] of any [illeg.] on his part to write to you. But I feel so sorry for him [illeg.] when he told me how much he regretted that he did not stand[?] [illeg.] with Ian. I could not resist writing to tell [illeg.] the calamities that have befallen him.

I must confess I was in total ignorance of what Ian told me. I don't [3] see how under those circumstances Ian can do anything. I was never more surprised[?] in my life in fact than when I read your letter. The whole thing is too childishly preposterous.

Romanes laments <over> me because he says I wilfully misunderstood his theory. The fact is poor fellow that I do not think he understands it himself. [4] If his life had been destined to be prolonged I should have done all in my power to have induced him to occupy himself more with observation and less with mere logomachy [word games].

I cannot get him to face the fact that natural hybrids are being found to be more & more common amongst plants. At the beginning of the century it was supposed that there were some sixty recognisable species of willows in the British Isles. Now they are cut down to about 16 & all the rest are resolved into hybrids.

Ever sincerely

W.T. Thiselton-Dyer [signature]