WCP4515

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

May19th. 1890

My dear Meldola¹

On my way back from a lecture in Dundee last week I visited Teesdale the only home in Britain of the Gentiana verna which I saw beautifully in flower, along with the almost equally beautiful Primula farinosa. In a boggy spot I saw a beautiful Carabus wh. I used to look for in vain when I was collecting in Wales. I enclose it,² spoilt I am afraid as I had no box of any kind to preserve it in.

I want to consult you about Willie.³ His reports last term were [2] not good. The fact is, he wants energy, & is constitutionally lazy & also wants concentration to his work. He will take twice as long to get out learn any difficult subject as many of more energy & application.

What I want to ask you is, whether, supposing at the end of this term he is not sufficiently advanced to go on with the 2^nd years work, (which I fully expect will be the case) he will be allowed to go over the 1^st years course again. I think this would [3] be better for him, than giving up & going to something else. Owing to delicacy of constitution & ill health when young he is really 2 or 3 years younger than many lads of his age. If beginning again is not accordingl to the rules of the College, & he does not pass the coming Exam. of course he will have to leave, — but I would much rather he made a 3 years course of it than do so.

Would you mind speaking to Prof. Thompson⁴ about this & letting me know what he says?

Yours very faithfully| Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

(over)

[4] P.S. Have you seen Romanes’⁵ article in the May "Nineteenth Century" in which the following passage occurs — "He presents an alternative theory to explain the same class of facts. Yet this theory is purely and simply, without any modification whatever, a restatement of the first principles of physiological selection, as these were originally stated by myself." (p. 832).

This follows a personal attack on me on the preceeding page.

Has Romanes lost his senses, or have I done so?

A.R.W.