WCP4058

[1]

Rosehill, Dorking

Jan[uar]^y 14th. 1877

Dear Newton¹

I do not think there would be any difficulty in a person of common sense with a few instructions making a very good index.

Here for instance is a plan which any one might follow out.

1. Add to the sp.[ecies] name in all cases a word or two indicating the kind of information given, — thus:

Cereus	swinhoii	note and figure	1862	151
"	"	description	1862	364
"	"	add to menagerie	1862	184
"	"	" " "	"	185
"	"	" " "	"	324
"	"	" " "	1867	818
"	"	List of [two words illegible]	1870	115
"	"	Horns fig[ure]d	1870	647

&c. &c.

This species, taken at random, is a fair [2] example of the annoyances & waste of time caused by present system.

In the 10 years index- 1861-1870, there are under this head 14 entries— in 6 vol[umes].

3 of these afford all the information.

2 are second references to same paragraph contained on next page.

4 are "additions to menagerie"

3 are names only — one being a— "trying to get"

2 are comparisons with another species as "horns larger than in C. swinhoii"

Requiring therefore any information as to their species, we have to take down 6 vol[umes] instead of 2, and refer to ^make at least 12 separate references instead of 3.

There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of such cases in the Index, f & many far worse.

Now I think any ordinarily intelligent person might be trusted to omit second references to [the] same paragraph [3] when it runs on into another page, also to omit references to a species, when only mentioned by name, with no fact stated about it,— also to omit it when merely used as a point of comparison when some other species is being referred to.

Still, if you think those had all better be kept in, notwithstanding their nearly doubling bulk of index, it does not much matter, if an addition tells what each nearly refers to.

2. The next thing required is to index all the titles of papers under every heading of subject or locality. There is no difficulty in this, and it would give us at once references to all local birds; all habits of groups, all anatomical information &c. &c. List of authors with full titles might remain as it is, but all the rest be combined in one General Index. [4] In the ^proposed General Index 1848-1880, there will be on the present system, 50 to 100 references ^each, & many of the species,— of which not more than a fourth will contain any information-but you will have to refer to them all and perhaps 20 vol[umes] to get what you really want ^contained in 2 or 3 vol[umes].

As to undertaking such an Index myself, I would as soon as break stones for a twelvemonth; and if I could be persuaded to do either, it would only be at about 100 times the pay of an ordinary stone-breaker or index-maker.

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

A. Newton F.R.S