WCP4360

[1]

Hamilton House, The Croft Hastings.

Feb[ruar]^y. 14^th. 1889

My dear Mr. Poulton

Will you oblige me by looking over enclosed proof of part of my 14^th. Chap[ter] & note any mistakes or misstatements that may occur to you, & return as soon as possible. If not troubling you too much I will send you the next sheet also.

Thanks for name of the Mantid. Do you happen to have, or can you easily refer to, Grant Allen’s small books of collected papers under such titles as "Vignettes from Nature", "The Evolutionist at Large", "Colin Clouts’ Calender"[sic] [2] and another I can’t remember. In one of them is a paper on "The Origin of Wheat", — in which he puts forth the theory that the grasses &c are degraded forms which were once insect-fertilised, — summing up his views in the phrase "Wheat is a degraded lily" or something like that. Now Henslow in his "Floral Structures" adopts the same theory for all the wind-fertilised or self-fertilised flowers, & he tells me that he is alone in the view. I believe the view is a true one, — & I want to give G[rant] Allen the credit if first [3] starting it & want to see how far he went. If you have, or can get this book of his with that paper can you lend it me for a few days. I know not who to write to for it, as botanists of course ignore it, & G[rant] Allen himself is I believe in Algeria.

Yours very sincerely| Alfred R. Wallace [signature]