WCP4055

[1]

Rosehill, Dorking.

July 27th. 1876

Dear Newton¹

Regrets are now useless, but I sincerely wish I had not allowed myself to be overruled in my ^first refusal to take charge of the Anthropological Department.

So far from Mr Foster saying any thing [sic] to induce me to introduce Anthropology into my Address, he assured me that — so that the Address was "Biological" — no more was required, and that his own opinion was [2] that the Address of the President of the Section sh[oul]^d be general in character.

As I informed² him at the very first that my Address would be, wholly Zoological, for the simple reason that the little knowledge I had of Biology & my reading & work for the last 4 years precluded me from making it anything else, I think he ought to have informed [3] you & the "Anthropologists", who he says had been consulted as to the charge of the department being offered me, — that such was the case.

Should there be any public expression of surprise or dissatisfaction at my not dealing with Anthropology I shall be bound to explain the circumstances under wh[ich]. I accepted the office of [4] President.

Iregret [sic] it also for you sake, because you would have given a much better address to the Section had you been free to expatiate at length on all the matters of interest with which you are so well acquainted.

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

P.S. The finish of the "Spectators" article on my book is weak in the extreme!

A. R. Wallace, July 27 /76³

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