Ɛpsilon

WCP3999

Letter (WCP3999.4401)

[1]

The Dell, Grays, Essex.

March 28th. 1873

Dear Dr. Gunther1

I send you my table of Reptiles for you to look over as you kindly promised. I have added all the genera noticed in the "Bericht" & "Record" since the date of the Catalogues of "Lizards" & "Snakes". I have intercalated them as [best] I could putting them as much as possible near genera from the same localities.

As there are probably many genera which should be united in one genus, I think it would be convenient if you would indicate these by putting the same letter to them — a. a. a. — b. b. b. b. — c. c. — &c. scoring under the name which should be retained for the composite genus. The genera [2] and families which you consider to be most certainly natural can be indicated as you suggested by an asterisk (*).

A few new families I have put in by guess. Please state which of the old families they had best come after.

I had not time to add the new genera of tortoises,— but as these are probably few, perhaps you will be so good as to insert those which you think are of any importance.

Believe me | yours very faithfully | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

1
Günther, Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf (formerly Albert Karl Ludwig Gotthilf) (1830-1914). German-born British zoologist. Keeper of the Zoology department, British Museum 1875-95.

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP3999.4401)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Benny, Ruth [2015-03-12] Transcription checked by Benny, Ruth [2015-03-12] Transcription checked by Beros, Matt [2020-06-10] Transcription checked by Sherwood, Danni [2020-08-10] Transcription checked by Chua, Christine [2026-04-18]

Published letter (WCP3999.3942)

[1] [p. 317]1

March 28th 1873

The Dell,

Grays,

Essex.

"Dear Dr. Gunther,

I send you my tables of reptiles for you to look over as you kindly promised. I have added all the genera noticed in the ‘Bericht’ and ‘Record’ since the date of the catalogues of ‘lizards’ and ‘snakes’. I have intercalated these as I could putting them as much as possible near genera from the same localities.

As there are probably many genera which should be united in one genus, I think it would be convenient if you would indicate these by putting the same letter to them—a, a, a—b, b, b, b,—c, c,—etc. scoring under the name which should be retained for the appropriate genus. The genera and families which you consider to be most certainly natural can be indicated as you suggested by an asterisk (*).

A few new families I have put in by guess. Please state which of the old families they had best come after.

I had not time to add the new genera of tortoises—but as these are probably few, perhaps you will be so good as to insert those which you think are of any importance.

Believe me,

Yours very faithfully,

Alfred R. Wallace."

1
Editor Charles H. Smith’s Note: Two letters Wallace sent to Dr. A. C. L. G. Günther in 1873, when he was beginning to get together materials for what would be The Geographical Distribution of Animals. The letters re-emerged in the book A Century of Zoology at the British Museum Through the Lives of Two Keepers 1815-1914 a hundred years later, in 1975. This is the second of the two letters printed in this book.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Published letter (WCP3999.3942)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Smith, Charles Hyde [2012-02-29] Transcription checked by Catchpole, Caroline [2013-01-15]

Please cite as “WCP3999,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP3999