WCP4562

[1]

Old Orchard, Broadstone, Wimborne.

March 29th. 1909

My dear Meldola¹

Will you be good as to give me a little information on a subject with which you are quite familiar.

1. What is the present view as to the origin of solid mineral carbon — (graphite and diamonds.)? Is all of it supposed to be derived from vegetation-products, or is there any evidence of their derivation from gaseous carbon-compounds?

2. As to graphite and diamonds [2] found (rarely) in meteoric stones, is there any known or suggested mode of their formation from compound gases &c.

3. Does the "carbon" in the Sun exist there as a gas of the pure element, or only as a compound gas? Has gaseous carbon yet been made?

If there is any book or article dealing with these questions can you refer me to it, or if you have it, lend it to me.

Make your answers as short [3] as you like, and excuse me for bothering you.

I am clearing up all my loose papers, articles &c. by means of "Stone’s Universal Portfolios" which I find very useful and cheap. I wish I had got them 20 years ago, as they would have saved me some of my articles which I have lost, or perhaps mislaid.

Yours very truly| Alfred R. Wallace [signature]