WCP3726

[1]

Old Orchard,

Broadstone,

Wimbourne.

June 26^th. 1909

J. S. Gamble¹ Esq

Dear Sir,

Yours just received.²

I write at once to ask you not to take any special trouble on my account, as I only require the total number of species as estimated by an expert like yourself. These numbers, for as many separate "Floras" as I can collect, are for the purpose of ^a general argument [2] as to the dispersal of species over the globe quite distinct from the usual botantical comparison of the proportions of the several nat. orders in different regions.

I also wish to inform you that Mr A. W. Hill³ gave me Dr. Koorder’s⁴ address, and he has sent⁵ me some very interesting figures from Java and the Malayan (Dutch) Indies generally, and I have written him again for some further explanations. I have also [3] heard from Mr Gagnepain^6,7 of the Paris museum, with our Estimate of the Phanerogams of Indo- China (including Siam) as being about "7000 species".

This is rather more than the estimate I have for Burma 6000 but as the French have been in possession longer, theirs’ is probably better known.

Both estimates are probably less than half the actual numbers in existence.

If besides giving me the number of species actually known or collected, you could give me that or any small area that has been been [4] particularly well collected. I should be obliged.

Dr. Koorders sent me that of the island Kambangan (S. Java) where he says he collected 2400 species in an area of "3 square kilometres ", — (under 2 square miles!).

This seems to me impossible, as no other tract of ground I have heard of, has a similar number in less than 100 square miles; so I have written to ask him if he has not made an error.

Sir Joseph Hooker⁸ speaks of the "astonishing number of species in Penang" with 1813 species in 106 square miles.

Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

1. Gamble, James Sykes (1847-1925). British botanist.

2. The letter has not been found.

3. Hill, Arthur William (1875-1941). British botanist and taxonomist; Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 1922-1941.

4. Koorders, Sijfert Hendrik (1863-1919). Indonesian-born Dutch botanist.

5. See WCP2946. https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP2946

6. Gagnepain, François (1866-1952). French botanist.

7. See WCP2950. https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP2950

8. Hooker, Joseph Dalton (1817-1911). British botanist and explorer. Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 1865-85. President of the Royal Society 1873-78.