WCP4539

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

Oct^r.. 10^th. 1897

My dear Meldola

You must have had a fine time & seen some fine scenery. Thanks for the seeds. I think they are one of the white flowered anemones but shall be very glad to have them. Will has been enjoying himself greatly both with work and play. After some months work on an electric railway near Boston they started to go to Denver, viâ Niagara, on their bicycles, but owing to their other ^English companion [2] having undertaken some editing work for a sick editor in the midst of the Adirondacks, Will & Mac have gone there & are doing all kinds of work to pay for their board — potato digging[,] painting &c. &c. with excursions among the mountains in between. His last letter was written on what looked like a very ancient kind of wallpaper — yellow with little dashes all over it, but taking ink well. He finished his letter by saying "This is written on ^the cheapest paper here. It grows on all the birch trees".

[3] Reading the Ent[omological] Soc[iety] Proceedings some time back, I was amazed & disgusted (in the discussion on Mimicry) to find that there are still fossil bughunters who can’t away with it, & still trot out "similar conditions of life" &c. as explaining it all! ThIt would be incredible — were it not true!

Yours very truly| Alfred R. Wallace [signature]