WCP2825

Letter (WCP2825.2715)

[1]1

Academia Polytechnica do Porto

EXPLORAÇÃO SCIENTIFICA DE ANGOLA

Jumba

Interior of Novo Redondo

Angola

900 meters [sic] altitude —

18th. May 1903

Dear Sir

Many thanks for your post card.

I am collecting some seeds to send you as soon as possible —

The shells arrived, but nearly all broken to pieces. I am working only for the Portuguese Government2, but I [2] have no doubt to offer you some duplicates of butterflies etc.

I sent already home some seeds — I hope you will receive them in due time.

If you have any spare newspapers (old of course) and old magazines they will be well accepted, as I have nothing to read during my spare hours —

Believe me Dear Sir | Yours truly | Francis Newton3 [signature]

[3] A few days ago I saw some splendid orchids, but without flowers.

Gladiolus4 and other bulbous plants, are also very common, but the season is not yet proper to collect the bulbs —

As regards land shells — the country is not very rich — I collected already some Achatinas5, Vitrinas6, Naninas7, one species of Plysa8, etc. etc.

Beetles are very common, especially some fine Longicorn9 and Cetonias10.

Please excuse my poor english [.] [4] Although I am a Portuguese, I know a little of english language.

I am working now for the Poytechnic School of my nation town.

My address is always

F. Newton

St Paul Luanda

Angola

West Coast Africa

1
Page numbered 132 in pencil in top RH corner and vertically in bottom RH corner. "Answ[ere]d" is written in ink across top LH corner.
2
The printed heading "Academia Polytechnica do Porto, Exploração scientifica de Angola" appears in top LH corner of page.
3
British Museum stamp underneath.
4
A genus of perennial bulbous flowering plants in the iris family Iridaceae.
5
Achatina is a genus of very large, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Achatinidae.
6
Vitrina is a genus of small terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Vitrinidae.
7
Nanina (or Naninia) is a genus of small terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Ariophantidae.
8
Physa is a genus of small terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Physidae.
9
Members of the family Cerambycidae are commonly called Longicorn or long-horned beetles.
10
Cetonia is a genus of beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, commonly called chafers.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP2825.2715)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by O'Dell, Sandra [2015-06-01] Transcription checked by Benny, Ruth [2015-06-01] Transcription checked by Sherwood, Danni [2020-08-10]

Please cite as “WCP2825,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 3 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP2825