Ɛpsilon

WCP4025

Letter (WCP4025.3968)

[1]

Hurstpierpoint

March. 8th. 1868

Dear Newton1

I return you Mr. JH. Gurney's2 letter, and also send you a note of my errors, for insertion in next "Ibis".3

I have read (hastily) your remarks on Huxley's4 Classifications5 and think they are good, but — you are too complementary [2] and I cannot believe that the scheme will ever be "generally adopted". I think you have shewn too that it has been published rather hastily; — if it is to be considered as anew classification, — and not merely as an indication [3] of some new characters which may be available in classification.

Yours very truly │Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

A. Newton Esq.

[4]6

1
Newton, Alfred (1829-1907). British zoologist and ornithologist. Founding member of the British Ornithologists' Union.
2
Gurney, John Henry (1819-1890). British banker, politician and ornithologist.
3
Wallace, A. R. 1868. Corrections of, and Additions to, the Catalogue of the Raptorial Birds of the Malay Archipelago. Ibis. 4(14): 215-216).
4
Huxley, Thomas Henry (1825-1895). British biologist and author, known as "Darwin's Bulldog".
5
Huxley, T. 1867. On the classification of birds; and on the taxonomic value of the modifications of certain of the cranial bones observable in that class. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, pp. 415-472.
6
In Newton’s handwriting, "A. R. Wallace. March 8/9/68. Answered March 10/68." The letter has not been found.

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP4025.3968)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Royce, Isobel [2013-01-15] Transcription checked by Catchpole, Caroline [2013-01-15] Transcription checked by Beros, Matt [2020-06-10] Transcription checked by Chua, Christine [2026-04-18]

Please cite as “WCP4025,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP4025