WCP3727

[1]

Old Orchard

Broadstone

Wimbourne

July 8th 1909

J.S Gamble Esq

Dear Sir,

In his sketch of the flora of Brit[ish]. India (1906 — p 53) Sir J Hooker says that Mr Ridley informs him that the Singapore Herbarium contains 4547 pharugu [?] from the Malay Peninsula, besides 368 teruska [?] If you know of any ^important additions since this accumulation or any collections of which sets are not at Singapore, you may perhaps be able to give a rough [2] estimate of the actually known flora, which will answer my purpose just as well as the most accurate, at the present time.

I am also collecting facts of especially rich small areas say from 10 to 100 square miles. The richest I have yet found are Lagoa Saltre [?] in Central Brazil, 2500 species in 66 square miles (3 years collecting by Professor Eng Warming [?]) 2400 species in Kambangando (S Java)

area — 30 square miles.

by Professor Kordeus [?] — but he says "collected "in an area of" 3 square kilometres"

= 2 square miles [3]

which seems to me impossible. He gives details -" 600 trees," 1800 scrubs and herbs".

Do you know of any similar rich area that has been described, anywhere. I think nothing extra- tropical can equal it; but it is possible that the Equatorial forest, some parts of the Amazon valley, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra or Borneo, or New Guinea, may be even richer.

My friend, the late Dr R.Spruce, after 8 years collecting in Amazonia when he obtained 8000 species (single handed, and collecting 20 — 30 acts) estimated, that at distances of one [4] degree apart, in any direction he found that half the species were different and he was a most careful observer. Have you any facts hearing upon this?

In about a year collecting in any of his stations- he usually get about 1000 species. Of course a collector with ample assistants rush bound to collect sets for a living, might have got many more species. He was often obliged to pan open new species, in order to secure the new genera.

Yours very truly | Alfred W Wallace (signature)