WCP2769

[1]¹

San Francisco, Cal[ifornia].

3300 Washington St[reet]

Oct[ober]. 22^[n]d. '[18]98

A.R. Wallace LLD,² etc.

Dear Sir,

I have been too long in your debt not to desire to make some acknowledgment however slight even if be no more than thro[ugh]' personal communication as an expression of the fact.

I began some years ago on your Malay Archipelago³ & it did not lead me though it greatly ai- [2]⁴ ded me in writing a series of articles on the Birds of New Guinea for the American Naturalist.⁵ They are not very good or scientific though I venture to send you a paper or two in which I have recorded my appreciation of your book in particular and your services in the field of ornithology. Your Island Life⁶ also together with Tropical Nature⁷ have long instructed and charmed me. Darwinism⁸ I am at present [3]⁹ reading. The subject of Geographical Distribution fascinated my interest years ago especially its bearing on bird life. Whereas you have touched upon biology in this country, your accuracy and information have been unfailing, noticeable in particular in the use of place names. From this evidence I have learned to rely implicitly upon a similar use when applied to other countries.

[4]¹⁰

Some ten years ago I had the pleasure of hearing you lecture in this city.¹¹ You may not recall the occasion but I do very vividly although I was attracted at the time as probably most of the audience were, rather by your fame as a writer than by any special interest in the subject treated. Since then however the question itself of practical mimicry has been ever present to my observations when pursuing any branch of nat- [5]¹² ural history though, if I may be so bold as to say so, I cannot go to the same length your writings have almost compelled so many of us your readers to go. Your exact address I do not know but take that in the preface of a recent edition of Natural Selection &c.¹³

With great respect I remain | Very truly yours | G. S. Mead¹⁴ [signature]