WCP4037

[1]

The Dell, Grays, Essex

Feb.[ruar]^y 20th 1875.

Dear Newton¹

If you can wait till May, I can let you have all the Mss you want at once for 2-3 weeks, as I believe I shall be occupied all that time with S.[outh] Kensington Ex.[aminatio]ⁿ papers. From the contents of 1st volume ^of [1 word illeg] ^Butt I sh[oul]^d think Birds ²w[oul]^d not come till 3rd. & then will be plenty of time. They kept my proofs a year before they came out.

As to the order of the Regions; I find put Nearctic first, & Neot[ropical] last, in order that it might come near Aust[rali]^a, & have worked all [2] through in that plan; but I now see it must be altered, as the connection of Aust[ralia] & Neot[ropical] & superficial ^{& accidental} & compared with that of Aust & Or[iental] on one side & Neot[ropical] & Nearct[ic] on [the] other. This has come not during the work, & I am ^now convince Huxley’s³ decision (Arctogoa & Notogoa) is not the fundamental one. The relation that does exist between them depends on two causes,— 1st. the preservation & survival in these two ^{remote & isolated} areas of certain ancient types once universal, but which in the other regions have been supplanted by higher forms;- this accounts for Marsupials, & Cracidae⁴, Megapodiida⁵. 2nd. The [3] transmission of certain forms during warm periods through the Antarctic lands ^{and islands} & recently through floating ice. No approach to a land connection has ever occurred between them.

Much more may be said on this subject.- but I am not quite clear on it.

As to giving more prominence[?] to extinct forms, I think a chapter of good length devoted to it, will be ample- After all, the extinct families & genera of Tertiary⁶ vertebrates are each one length of the living forms,- & they are local instead of universal. Again it is not an essential part of the subject, to be gone[?] into in great detail,- & it would [4] require special anatomical knowledge to do so. I can only take the general results of ^various Paleontologists yet again. I must consult the commercial aspect of the matter. I have devoted nearly 3 years to the work, & must if possible get something out of it. Any increase of size beyond what I have already arranged for, will probably take all chance of profits.

Yet again, so much new matter [1 word illegible] in Classification, new species & paleontology comes up annually, that the book will be obsolete in a few years, & a new, & much better work will have to be done, with the experience of [one word illegible] &c of this.

Tabulating the genera, quite impossible. Look at families of 20-50 — & 100 genera! I think it more important to show at a glance whether a family just enters a region or extends all over it nearly so. I will show peculiar genera in the list of each region. My italics & capitals.⁷

Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]