WCP609

Letter (WCP609.609)

[1]

Down.

Bromley.

Kent. S.E.

Feb. 23d1 [1867]2

Dear Wallace

I much regretted that I was unable to call on you, but after Monday I was unable even to leave the house. On Monday evening I called on Bates3 & put a difficulty before him, which he could not answer, & as on some former similar occasion, his first suggestion was, "you had better ask [2] Wallace". My difficulty is, why are caterpillars sometimes so beautifully & artistically coloured? Seeing that many are coloured to escape danger4 I can hardly attribute their bright colour in other cases to mere physical conditions. Bates says the most gaudy caterpillar he ever saw in Amazonia (of a Sphinx) was conspicuous at the distance of yards [3] from its black & red colouring whilst feeding on large green leaves. If anyone objected to male butterflies having been made beautiful by sexual selection, & asked why sh[oul]d they not have been made beautiful as well as their caterpillars; what would you answer? I could not answer, but sh[oul]d maintain my ground. Will you think over this, & some time, either by letter or when we meet, [4] tell me what you think. Also, I want to know whether your female mimetic butterfly is more beautiful & brighter than the male?

When next in London I must get you to show me your Kingfishers. —

My health is a dreadful evil, I failed in half my engagements during this last visit to London.

Believe me | yours very sincerely | C. Darwin [signature]

An annotation in red pencil "1867" is written after "Feb. 23d".
The year "1867" has been established by Marchant, J. (Ed.). 1916. Alfred Russel Wallace; Letters and Reminiscences, 1. London & New York: Cassell & Co., Ltd. [p. 178].
Bates, Henry Walter (1825-1892). British naturalist, explorer and close friend of ARW.
Camouflaged/cryptically coloured.

Published letter (WCP609.5957)

[1] [p. 178]

Down, Bromley, Kent, S.E. February 23, 1867.

Dear Wallace,— I much regretted that I was unable to call on you, but after Monday I was unable even to leave the house. On Monday evening I called on Bates1 and put a difficulty before him, which he could not answer, and, as on some former similar occasion, his first suggestion was, "You had better ask Wallace." My difficulty is, why are caterpillars sometimes so beautifully and artistically coloured? Seeing that many are coloured to escape danger, I can hardly attribute their bright colour in other cases to mere physical conditions. Bates says the most gaudy caterpillar he ever saw in Amazonia (of a Sphinx) was conspicuous at the distance of yards from its black and red colouring whilst feeding on large green leaves. If anyone objected to male butterflies having been made beautiful by sexual selection, and asked why should they not have been made beautiful as well as their caterpillars, what would you answer? I could not answer, but should maintain my ground. Will you think over this, and some time, either by letter or when we meet, tell me what you think? Also, I want to know whether your female mimetic butterfly is more beautiful and brighter than the male?

When next in London I must get you to show me your Kingfisher.

My health is a dreadful evil; I failed in half my engagements during this last visit to London. — Believe me, yours very sincerely, | C. DARWIN.

Bates, Henry Walter (1825-1892). British naturalist, explorer and close friend of ARW.

Published letter (WCP609.6928)

[1] [p. 227]

"On Monday evening I called on Bates1, and put a difficulty before him which he could not answer, and, as on some former similar occasion, his first suggestion was 'You had better ask Wallace.' My difficulty is, Why are caterpillars sometimes so beautifully and artistically coloured? Seeing that many are coloured to [2] [p. 228] escape dangers, I can hardly attribute their bright colour in other cases to mere physical conditions. Bates says the most gaudy caterpillar he ever saw in Amazonia was conspicuous at the distance of yards, from its black and red colours, whilst feeding on large, green leaves. If any one objected to male butterflies having been made beautiful by sexual selection, and asked why they should not have been made beautiful as well as their caterpillars, what would you answer? I could not answer, but should maintain my ground. Will you think over this, and some time, either by letter or when we meet, tell me what you think?"

Bates, Henry Walter (1825-1892). British naturalist, explorer and close friend of ARW.

Please cite as “WCP609,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 4 October 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP609