WCP4637

[1]

Providence, R.I.

Oct. 24 90

My dear Dr. Wallace:

I venture to send you a recently published paper on the Evolution of the tubercle, etc. of caterpillars, with the hope that it may interest you, though you may widely differ from me in my suggestions. While I give place and do not seem to wish to undervalue the very important position to be assigned to natural selection, is it not also now practicable to try to discover the causes of origin of structures, the views of Darwin¹ & yourself as I understand them being based [2] on "the tendency to variations"?

It seems to me that a modern form of Lamarckism, which in 1885 I called Neo-Lamarckism, may comprise a number of factors, which are concerned in the origin of structures, which after they arise, may be taken up, become still more modified and preserved by the factors compound under the term "natural selection".

I hope, Dear Sir, your health is good and that you may continue to give to the world, more stimulating works. I first read your Naturalist in the Amazon² when a boy.

Yours faithfully| A. S. Packard.³ [signature]