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 M. Foster² saying any thing 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^d be general in character.

As I informed 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. I accepted the office of [4]³ President.

I regret 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" article⁴ on my book⁵ is weak in the extreme!