WCP3932

[1]

Broadstone, Wimborne

August 28th. 1906

My dear Flora¹

Of course I will write to Mrs Britton,² as your father's³ Executor, and get the matter satisfactorily arranged. In order to do I should like yo have the draft copy of the letter you wrote to Mrs Britton offering the collection for £.400. If you have no copy please write the exact terms as nearly as you can recollect them. Also please send me Mrs. B's letter. It was because you asked for it to be returned, that I did not offer to write to her, but [2] if I do so I must have all the documents referring to it. All the later writings relating to the mosses &c. which your father left, had better be carefully put up, docketed and go with them, as they will be no use to any one else.

Thanks for the "Bibliography" on Hepaticae, which is interesting.

I suppose Mr. Hemsley⁴ thought his letter to Annie⁵ as the eldest daughter, would be sufficient, but I think, too, it would have been better if he had written to [3] you or your mother.⁶ But he is a very busy man & we must excuse him.

I do not think it would be advisable for any one to examine the collections now, but a representative of the purchaser. You must be able to say that no one has touched them since your father's death, but the packer, and that they are complete as you father left them.

Do not trouble yourself to [4] try and get the number of species. It would take a great deal of time ^{and you must be} ver^y busy^. I only thought you father might have some notes on it, or some MSS. list, to which he added all the new species as they were obtained.

A general idea can be obtained by when they we being packed by counting the sheets in one package or in a foot high — & then getting the number of such packages or the feet high the whole come to.

No doubt when Mrs. Britton has them she will have a complete list made to show what treasures she has got, & will send us a copy.

Yours very affectionally | A. R. Wallace [signature]