WCP4377

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

Jan[uar]^y. 13^th. 1890

My dear Mr. Poulton

My opinion on your classification & nomenclature of Animal Colours will be of little or no use to you because I dislike all elaborate classifications and all increase of new terms, which to me are far more confusing than assisting. You must allow for this fundamental objection on my part in considering the one or two special observations I have to make. First as to Apatetic & Sematic colours, the latter term seems to me far too close to Somatic with quite a different meaning. [2] Secondly — Procryptic & Autocryptic do not suggest the difference of use of the colours, but diverse modes of concealment wh[ich] is not true. The mode of concealment is identical and the use two uses are often combined, as in carnivorous insects which are themselves the prey of birds — all these ^elaborate… subdivisions seem to me unnecessary. Then Thirdly — such terms as Pseudosematic, Pseudaposematic, Episematic & Pseudepisematic are very confusing. How many persons will learn the exact technical meaning you give to them, a meaning by no means to be got out of [3] the derivation, but ^{in each case} of special application. In all the ^minor subdivisions you have used common English — as "General Aggressive Resemblance", "Protective d[itt]o"— "Variable d[itt]o — d[itt]o" &c. &c.. Why then not use English terms throughout, — for you can hardly expect that the Germans & French, for example, will adopt I in toto your classification & terminology. They will probably give us new refinements of classification & a new set of names, longer & more difficult than yours, so that the poor student who wants to understand the problems of colour — after all [4]¹ only one of the smaller by-ways of Biology — will be lost in a trackless jungle of names!

All this will seem very weak & unconvincing to you, but I began by telling you that you need pay no attention to it. I long to read your book the more so that you have not used this terrible terminology in your exposition of the subject.

Yours very faithfully| Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

E.B Poulton Esq.