P.S. In my next voyage to New Guinea I think it probable I may get some live Paradiseus (P. papuana) but I must have a definite arrangement or will not trouble myself with them. I hear from Capt. of steamer there is one now in Batavia for which 1000 Rupees (£85) is asked. This is too much but it shows their value here. Now I myself will not come home on any chance, & if sent a person must come to take charge of them. If therefore the Chry Crystal Palace Co. wants them, you must get & send me out an order for a free passage from Singapore to England, first class to any person in charge of Birds of Paradise for me. Next they must either be put up to auction on arrival & the Palace get them at their market price, or they must agree to pay as follows: if only one comes alive £100, — the 2nd £50, 3rd & others up to 10, £25 each. If they won’t offer give this price I will not trouble myself even if I can get them for nothing. I must have their answer immediately & it must be understood [2] that they take their chance of how many are females as in the young birds I cannot tell the difference. This is my ultimatum. I would rather sell them in Ternate for £5 each than trouble myself about them for less.
Mind & take care of all the light sago pith-boxes in which I send my insects now, as they will be invaluable for me in arranging my coll[ectio]n. of insects & birds, & make excellent show boxes for the large beett[le]s [sic] & small birds. All Mr Doleschalls3 collections here go to Vienna, & will lower the market a little, but few I think will be in good condition. In a few years E. longimanus will be very common as the Doctors at Amboina have got perhaps hundreds of them.
Send me as much as you can information as to which of my large & handsome sp.[ecies] are quite new.
I must now conclude again.
Yours very faithfully, | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]
Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Transcription (WCP3683.3587)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
[[1] [p. 347]
In my next voyage to New Guinea I think it probable I may get some live Paradiseas (P. papuana), but I must have a definite arrangement, or will not trouble myself with them. I hear from captain of steamer there is one now in Batavia, for which 1000 rupees (£85) is asked; this is too much, but it shows their value here. Now I myself will not come home on any chance, and if sent, a person must come to take charge of them. If therefore the Crystal Palace Company wants them, you must get and send me out an order for a free passage from Singapore to England first-class, to any person in charge of Birds of Paradise for me; next they must either be put up to auction on arrival and the Palace get them at their market price, or they must agree to pay as follows: if only one comes alive £100, the second £50, third and others up to ten £25 each. If they will not give this price I will not trouble myself, as it would be a most difficult and troublesome undertaking.1 I must have their answer immediately, and it must be understood that they take their chance of how many are females, as in the young birds I cannot tell the difference. This is my ultimatum.
Status: Draft transcription [Published letter (WCP3683.7680)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
Please cite as “WCP3683,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 26 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP3683