WCP4392

Letter (WCP4392.4650)

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

Feb[ruar]y. 1st. 1893

My dear Poulton

Thanks for the separate copy of your great paper on Colours of Larvae, pupae &c. I have read your conclusions, & looked over some of the Experiments, & think you have now pretty well settled that question.

I am reading through the new 1 vol[ume] Life of Darwin, & am struck with the curious example his own case affords [2] of non-heredity — of acquired variations. He expresses his constant dread — one of the troubles of his life — that his children should inherit his bad health. It seems pretty clear from what F[rancis] Darwin says in his new Ed[ition] that Darwin’s constant nervous stomach irritation was caused by his 5 years sea sickness. It was thoroughly established before, & in the yea early years of his marriage, & on his [3] own theory his children ought all to have inherited it. Have they? You know perhaps better than I do, whether any of the family show any symptoms of that particular form of illness, — & if not it is a fine case!

Yours very faithfully| Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

E.B. Poulton Esq.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP4392.4650)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Lord, Annette [2012-07-17] Transcription checked by Catchpole, Caroline [2013-01-15]

Envelope (WCP4392.4651)

Envelope addressed to "E. B. Poulton Esq. F.R.S., Wykeham House, Banbury Rd, Oxford", with stamp, postmarked "PARKSTONE D | FE 1 | 93". A note is written on front of envelope in Poulton's hand "A. R. Wallace 1893"; postmark on back. [Envelope (WCP4392.4651)]

Published letter (WCP4392.6420)

[1] [p. 54]

Parkstone, Dorset

February 1, 1893.

My dear Poulton1,—Thanks for the separate copy of your great paper on colours of larva, pupa, etc.2 I have read your conclusions and looked over some of the experiments, and think you have now pretty well settled that question.

I am reading through the new volume of the Life of Darwin, and am struck with the curious example of his own case affords of non-heredity of acquired variations. He expresses his constant dread — one of the troubles of his [2] [p. 55] life—that his children would inherit his bad health. It seems pretty clear, from what F. Darwin3 says in the new edition, that Darwin's4 constant nervous stomach irritation was caused by his five years sea-sickness. It was thoroughly established before, and in the early years of, his marriage, and, on his own theory his children ought all to have inherited it. Have they? You know perhaps better than I do, whether any of the family show any symptoms of that particular form of illness — and if not it is a fine case! — Yours very faithfully,

Alfred R. Wallace

1
Poulton, Edward Bagnall (1856-1943). British Entomologist.
2
Footnote in text read: "Trans. Ent. Soc., London, 1892, p. 293."
3
Darwin, Francis ("Frank") (1848-1925). 3rd son of Charles Robert Darwin.
4
Darwin, Charles Robert (1809-1882). British naturalist, geologist and author, notably of On the Origin of Species (1859).

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Published letter (WCP4392.6420)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Sherwood, Danni [2020-06-09] Transcription checked by Siewert, Betsy [2020-10-30]

Please cite as “WCP4392,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP4392