WCP4300

[1] [p. 182]

Magdalene College, Cambridge

June 17, 1894

My dear Wallace,

I thank you very much for the paper you have sent me. I saw the title of it advertised and got a copy of Natural Science accordingly — reading it with interest but with no little regret, though I have no fault to fin with the way you defend your position and attack mine. Indeed, I highly appreciate your delicacy and feel sure of your wish to do nothing but bring out the truth. I should much like to reply to you, but I really don’t know when I can find the time to do so. I am off on Tuesday for a three weeks’ holiday beyond the reach, I hope, of posts. I will only remark now that you proceed on your supposition that my "Holarctic" Region = your Palaearctic and Nearctic — whereas the southern boundaries of this last are, in my opinion and that of several American zoologists, very uncertain — though to me it is clear that the Neotropical Region extends much more to the northward than you would have it run — and probably the same is to be said of the Indian Region. Thus a very considerable number of the genera, which you assign to your Nearctic and Palaearctic Regions, belong really to more southern areas, and by their elimination your lists would present a very different aspect. Again too, you have omitted from your Nearctic list all the Palearctic genera of birds which inhabit Alaska, and if I am not mistaken these are several Mammals also, making Alaska essentially Palaearctic. There are also not a few other (as it seems to me) inaccuracies which would make no small change.

[2] [p. 183] I have always looked on the study of Geographical Distribution as having a most important bearing on Evolution — but the greater part of this bearing would be really obscured, if your doctrines be correct. I do not know that there is much use in having "Regions" at all, but certainly there is very little if they are to be considered for the most part identical with the main division, ordinarily accepted by geographers. I have, however, a strong belief in "Faunas," as you may see from what I foreshadowed at the end of my British Association address at Manchester some years ago.

Yours very truly

ALFRED NEWTON