WCP4968

Published letter (WCP4968.5404)

[1]1 [p. 277]

Parkstone, Dorset, 3rd January, 1894.

Dear Sir,—

I received from a friend of yours a number of the "Journal of Science," containing among other things some remarks on the habits of the kea. As the writer says that I have given "what is generally believed to be a correct description of the bird's habits, &c.," it will be time enough to change it when other New Zealand authorities accept Mr. Huddleston's account2.

I see in another article it is stated that the habit of tearing open the vegetable sheep for insects led to the kea's tearing open first dead sheep and then living ones3...

Yours very faithfully,

Alfred R. Wallace.

Taylor White, Esq.

1
Excerpt of a letter to Taylor White.
2
On page 278 of the article in which this letter was published White says "To this I reply that Mr. Huddleston's article on the kea is the best I have seen on the subject, and, so far as my own experience goes, is reliable, and for this reason I specially obtained that number of the "Journal of Science" which contained Mr. Huddleston's paper, and forwarded it to Mr. Wallace: hence his letter to me thereon."
3
On page 273 White remarks, "I have been prompted to write this paper on receipt of a letter from Mr. Alfred R. Wallace, F.R.S., who still holds to the old-time stories given of this bird long ago, and follows the lead of those who had but a second-hand knowledge of this bird, and so falls into errors, such as its leaving the berries of the forest-trees and taking to picking the kidney-fat out of live sheep running on the mountain-side, and being gradually trained thereto by commencing to sample the carcases of sheep hanging on the gallows or slaughter-place of the sheep-farmer..."

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Published letter (WCP4968.5404)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Smith, Charles Hyde [2013-02-04] Transcription checked by Catchpole, Caroline [2013-02-05]

Please cite as “WCP4968,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 25 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP4968