WCP2497

[1]¹

WESTHOLME,

SANDAL,

N^R. WAKEFIELD.

20^th February 1911.

Dear Sir,

I am taking the liberty of asking you two questions, which are in connection with two separate works of your own, and I think you will forgive the liberty.

In the first place could you tell me the name (technical name) of the parrot you refer to in your "Travels on the Amazon"² - (Page 221 in "Minerva" Library edition) [2] (A little "marianna" or macaí of the Indians, a small black headed, white breasted, orange neck and thighed parrot? — (Rio Negro).

Is it ever brought over to this country? Perhaps I ought to explain that for a year of two past I have been keeping small parrots — 3 or 4 species of Brotogeris et^c. and one or two Australian and New Zealand species.

Could you also let me know the name of a good technical Book on the parrots, one which would include a [3] list of species for preference. I know of Seth-Smiths "Parakeets".³

The other point is this — with the higher mammals, do you think it possible for prenatal "suggestion" to have any influence in determining which characters should be inherited: I am not referring so much to physical characters, but rather psychical — temper, disposition, et^c. I don't know whether I put my difficulty quite clearly but probably you will grasp [4] what I am driving at.

I should perhaps explain that I cannot claim to be more than the usual "general reader", but I should not have asked you this question if I had not known you were unlike most scientists. I kept an open mind on the relation of mind and matter.

With very many apologies for the trouble I have given you[.]

Yours faithfully | H. Newcome Wright⁴ [signature]

A. Russell [sic] Wallace Esq.