WCP4411

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

Feb[ruar]^y.. 13^th. 1898

My dear Poulton

Thanks for your papers on Mimicry. I have always been amazed that any one who will really think for 5 minutes on the facts can possibly put forth the theory of "similar conditions" as an explanation of them. But strange to say there still are such people, and your paper showing the diverse modes of arriving at the same result ought to help to convince them of their idiocy; but I fear it will not! A fresh brood will continually arise. I never thought it worth while to devote [2] much time to them, but in my first paper on the subject (in Natural Selection & Trop[ical] Nature p.77) I dealt very briefly with it.

For the purpose of obviating such objections it is well always to refer ^to the numerous cases of mimicry between different ^{families or} orders, as these offer more proofs of its inefficiency than do butterflies ^alone, — except by going into minute details as you have so well done.

With best wishes| Believe me| Yours very truly| Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

Prof. E.B. Poulton