WCP3567

Letter (WCP3567.3466)

[1]

Waldron Edge, Duppas Hill, Croydon.

August 11th 1878

Dear Bates1

Silk2, who is staying with me, tells me you spoke to him about my editing a book for Dr.Bennett,3I presume D’Albertis’4travels in New Guinea. I should be very glad to do this,5 as I have just been writing a new chapter on New Guinea for Stanford’s6 Book.

Please inform Dr. Bennett if you see or write to him. I7 have heard nothing from Dr. B[ennett]. Is [one word illegible] D’Albertis in London now? I should much like to see him.

Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

H. W. Bates Esq.

1
English naturalist and explorer Henry Walter Bates, FRS, FLS, FGS (1825 — 1892). Bates is gave the first scientific account of animal mimicry, and "Batesian mimicry" still bears his name today. Bates was also a friend and expedition companion of Wallace, one of the first supporters of the Darwin/Wallace theory of evolution by natural selection.
2
George Silk, closest childhood friend of ARW. The two met in Herford around 1828, when ARW was only about 5 years old.
3
Possibly A. W. Bennett, a fellow of the Linnean Society who was among those that nominated ARW for Fellowship.
4
Luigi Maria D’Albertis (1841 — 1901) was an Italian naturalist and explorer, and the first person to chart the Fly River of Papua New Guinea in 1876.
5
ARW did indeed publish an article discussing D’Albertis’ trip, entitled "New Guinea and Its Inhabitants", in the Contemporary Review in February 1879.
6
Likely Edward Stanford (1827 — 1904), founder of Stanford’s Ltd which sold—and still sells—maps, charts, and later books in London (e.g., Stanford’s Compendium of Geography and Travel…Australasia. Edited and Extended by A. R. Wallace).
7
The text "I have…Dr. B" written vertically up the left margin of the letter.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP3567.3466)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Clerx, William [2012-08-16] Transcription checked by Catchpole, Caroline [2013-01-15]

Please cite as “WCP3567,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP3567