Ɛpsilon

WCP3987

Letter (WCP3987.3928)

[1]1

Paris

7 Rue de Sfax

April 16th 1890

Dear Sir2,

I beg to introduce myself — as I have not the pleasure of being personally known of [sic] you — and to ask a favor [sic] of you — I have just read Wallace's Darwinism3 — which I have translated in French as you may hear from him — and have much liked his Chapters on Colour4 — While writing at present a review of his book, I wish to keep the colour question for separate treatment[,] and to write a paper on the matter in which I intend to use also Poulton's5 contributions to the subject, of which he has sent me the record — I perceive that you have contributed not a few papers on this question, and I [2] much need them for my review — May I venture to ask of ayouco a copy of such as you may happen to have yet [sic]? If you could also send me a copy of your translation of Weismann6,7, in which you have contributed personal notes on the question, I would feel greatly obliged, inasmuch I am thinking of translating Weismann's Descent7 if it is not to[o] old. In fact I am already translating his memoirs or Essays on Selection8 and Heredity9, but before asking to translate Descent I would be happy to see it, and English being more familiar to me than German, a translation would be useful to me to allow of [sic] a rapid examination of the work. [3] But it may be that you have no copies left…..

I hope at all events that you will have no objection to sending me your contributions on colour, and I beg to add that all biological papers which will be sent to me, I shall be happy to review in the Revue Scientifique10.

I will refer you, [1 word illeg. struck through] information concerning my self [sic] to Prof[esseur]. D. Ferrier11 and M[onsieur]. Francis Darwin12 to whom I am personally known (I have translated Functions of the Brain13 & Life & Correspondance [sic] of C. Darwin14); to J. G. [sic] Romanes15 and A. R. Wallace whose works I have translated or am translating: I have never seen them but we have much corresponded — and to M[onsieur]. F. Galton16 — these gentlemen [4] know enough of me to supply you with reliable information, and will tell you that I am much interested in making English biological work know[n] in France through the Revue Scientifique to which I belong since [sic] some 10 or 12 years —

Pray excuse me for so intruding upon you, and believe me,

Dear Sir, | Yours very truly | Henry de Varigny [signature]

Sc. D. Membre de la Societé d[e] Biologie.

7 Rue de Sfax

Paris

1
"MLD8/1973" written in pencil in top LH corner of page. A printed crest is positioned at the top centre of the page.
2
Meldola, Raphael (1849-1915). British chemist and entomologist, friend of ARW.
3
Wallace, A. R. (1889) Darwinism: an exposition of the theory of natural selection, with some of its applications, Macmillan & Co., London.
4
ibid. Chapter VIII The origin and uses of colour in animals pp. 187-231; Chapter IX Warning colouration and mimicry pp. 232-267; Chapter X Colours and ornaments characteristic of sex pp. 268-300; Chapter XI The special colours of plants: Their origin and purpose pp. 301-337.
5
Poulton, Edward Bagnall (1856-1943.) British evolutionary biologist, friend of ARW and lifelong advocate of natural selection.
6
Weismann, Friedrich Leopold August (August) (1834-1914). German evolutionary biologist. His main contribution was the germ plasm theory, at one time also known as Weismannism, according to which inheritance only takes place by means of the germ cells or gametes.
7
Weissman, A. (1882) Studies in the theory of descent, with notes and additions by the author. Vols. 1 and 2. Translated and edited, with notes, by Raphael Meldola. With a prefatory notice by Charles Darwin. London, S. Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington.
8
Weissman, A. (1872) Über den Einflus der Isolierung auf die Artbildung (On the Influence of Isolation on Speciation). Leipzig, W. Engelmann.
9
Weismann, A. (1891) Essays upon Heredity and Kindred Biological Problems Vols. 1 and 2. Translated and edited by Edward B. Poulton, Selmar Schönland and Arthur E. Shipley. Oxford, Clarendon Press.
10
La Revue Scientifique was a weekly review of Science 1863-24, then published bi-monthly until 1970.
11
Ferrier, David (1843-1928). Scottish neurologist and psychologist.
12
Darwin, Francis ("Frank") (1848-1925). British botanist, third son and seventh child of Charles Darwin.
13
Ferrier, D. (1876) The Functions of the Brain New York, G.P. Putnam's Sons.
14
Darwin F. ed. (1887) The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, including an autobiographical chapter. Volumes 1-3. London, John Murray.
15
Romanes, George John (1848-1894). Canadian-born English evolutionary biologist and physiologist and friend of Charles Darwin. Founder of comparative psychology, which postulated a similarity of cognitive processes between humans and other animals.
16
Galton, Francis (1822-1911). English progressive, polymath, socialist, psychologist, anthropologist, anthropologist, eugenicist, tropical explorer, geographer, inventor, meteorologist, proto-geneticist, psychometrician and statistician.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP3987.3928)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by O'Dell, Sandra [2015-04-30] Transcription checked by Benny, Ruth [2015-04-30] Transcription checked by Sherwood, Danni [2020-08-10]

Please cite as “WCP3987,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP3987