WCP2864

[1]

Wykeham House, Oxford.

Nov. 26 / 1906

My dear Wallace,

I have heard & seen nothing of Birch:¹ I don't know why. I think the change is a good one & wise: especially as there is the solid ground of collecting for Tring. Burchell² made one excursion ^{of a few weeks} into Min. Ger. from Rio; & therefore it was the Rio part of it. He did really well & brought back a large colln. I have no doubt that it is very rich. If later on Birch could go to [2] into the heart of Eastern Brazil Malto Grosso, ^Chapada he would find a different set of things & still riches I expect. Burchell's route from Santos to Pará has I expect never been retraversed by a naturalist.

I wrote to you about my forthcoming book in which your name was mentioned in the dedication. By your silence I assume consent.

I have just received from Durban a family of Papilio dardanus (merope) bred from a hippocoon (black & white form) & it contains all the forms of ♀ & 14 ♂♂. I cannot get the Ent. Soc. to give a coloured plate to show it with [3] models from the same part of the world. This to help cure the unfortunate effects of Weismann’s ^recent plates on the same species which are all wrong.

It is a most unlucky thing: & the mistakes have already been copied largely.

With kindest regards | Yrs sincerely | E. B. Poulton³ [signature]