WCP4023

Letter (WCP4023.3966)

[1]

Hurstpierpoint,

Feb.14th. [1868]1

Dear Newton

I did not know of Gould’s figure in the "Birds of Asia".2 I carefully compared Blyth’s3 description with my bird, & determined that it could not possibly be the same.

If not a synonym of S[pizaetus]. cirrhatus it may be new, but is not mine. The question then is, whether Gould’s figure represents Blyth’s bird or mine? I cannot of course decide that without [2] coming to town, and do not want to do so for this three weeks, as I have already been up twice this month.

The best way would be to compare Gould’s specimen with mine.

Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

A[lfred]. Newton Esq.

[3]4

1
The date is established by Newton's annotation on page 3.
2
ARW's refers to Gould's plate 10. Spizaëtus alboniger (Black-and-white Crested Eagle). Part 15. (June 1863). (Gould, J. 1850-1883. Birds of Asia, 1. London: Published by the author. pl. 10)
3
Blyth, Edward (1810-1873). British zoologist; Curator of the Museum of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal 1841-62.
4
An annotation is written in Newton's hand in the upper left-hand corner of page 3, "A. R. Wallace, Feb. 14/15 [18]/68. | Answered Feb. 18/[18]68."

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP4023.3966)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Ather, Rabiya [2012-10-11] Transcription checked by Catchpole, Caroline [2013-01-15] Transcription checked by Beros, Matt [2020-06-10]

Please cite as “WCP4023,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 12 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP4023