WCP650

Transcription (WCP650.822)

[1]

5, Westbourne Grove Terrace, London. W.

May 8th. 1863

My dear Sir,

I am very glad to hear that the butterflies I sent were of interest to you. I very much wish you could see my collection, and give me your opinion on many doubtful points. Is there no probability of your coming to England this year or next?

I have not had time yet to go through your notes, which will, I have no doubt, be very useful to me. From whom did you obtain Ternate Lepidoptera, — as I do not believe the true P.1 deiphobus is found there or in any of the islands near. In Batchian [Bacan], Gilolo [Halmahera], Ternate &c. I found only your deiphontes taking the place of deiphobus of Ceram [Seram] Amboyna [Ambon] & Bouru [Buru], and Ascalaphus of Celebes & Sula Is[lands]. What is the other tailed species near deiphontes you say you have from Ternate? This will also be most likely from some other island. If you will inform me who you obtained them from I can probably guess the locality, as I was several years in the vicinity of [2] Ternate & Amboyna. I have a single specimen of P. Aristaeus. Cr. from Ceram & one from Batchian, both agreeing with the figure. Of the Ormenus group[,] I have 5 forms a species. P. onesimus. Hew. is a ♀ of one of them. Your P. tydaeus [tydeus] has a ♀ something similar; but the New Guinea forms have I think 2 & in some cases three distinct forms of ♀'s. to one ♂.; amanga. Bd. is one of these light coloured females.

I have only recently obtained a copy of Cramer2, & other works I still want, so I do not wish to be too quick in publishing. I should also want to visit the Leyden [Leiden] Museum, where I should think they must have a great number of specimens.

I should be obliged if you could send me the 3rd. part of your descriptions of Philippine Lepidoptera.3

I enclose you according to your request, my photograph, & I hope you will send me yours in return, which I shall highly esteem.

Mr. Hewitson3 is gone to Italy & I be[l]ieve intends to visit Vienna to study your collections.4

I remain My dear Sir │ Yours very sincerely │ Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

Dr. Felder

1
The abbreviation "P." before a species name in the main body of the letter is for the genus Papilio in each case.
2

Cramer, Pieter & Stoll, Caspar. 1779-1782. De uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in de drie Waereld-Deelen Asia, Africa en America: Papillons exotiques des trois parties du monde l'Asie, l'Afrique et l'Amerique. Amsteldam: S. J. Baalde.

3.

3
Hewitson, William Chapman (1806-1878). British naturalist, author and collector. Founding member of the Natural History Society of Northumberland, Durham and Newcastle upon Tyne 1829.
4
Hewitson was in Vienna in June 1863; see WCP651.823, Stevens to Felder, 11 June 1863.

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Transcription (WCP650.822)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Royce, Isobel [2012-07-18] Transcription checked by Lucas, Paula [2020-03-19]

Please cite as “WCP650,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP650