Ɛpsilon

WCP687

Letter (WCP687.859)

[1]

INCHRORY LODGE,

TOMINTOUL,

BANFFSHIRE,

N. B.

Augt. 14 <1903?>

Dear Mr. Wallace,

Champion1 showed me the letter2 you wrote him about a young naturalist3 you are interested in who wants to travel & collect, & he asked me to write you about it.

I am afraid there are not many people now in England [2] who purchase tropical collections at least at such a price <MS burned> pay a collector.

Of course there is Rothschild4 who is always ready to give good prices for new and fine things especially mammals, birds, or lepidoptera, but other orders of insects. I believe he has now given up & I do not think he cares for small things.

With regard to localities.—

Cuba has been recently visited by Schaus,5 an American Entomologist, & I fancy he has worked up fairly [3] <MS burned> well all the larger butterflies & moths & his things have gone to the N. York Museum — I understand he has now started on a visit to Haiti. British Guiana was visited by Whitely6 who sent a good many of the finer things, or perhaps I should say showy things. Then I had a collector, Sunion — in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, but he only sent me enough good things to make me wish for more. A very large number of the species at an altitude of over 5000 feet are modified forms, but [4] at this height there is a very sparse population & it is difficult to work. I rather think H. H. Smith went there & that his success was greatly spoilt by the disturbed state of the country. Amongst the smaller insects, especially coleoptera, there is much to be done at all these places, but provided the country were quiet, I think the Sierra Nevada would be by far the most interesting & it is not difficult of access & it has never been half worked. This is of course outside my country & I have long ago ceased collecting, as I am too far through with my work to make further additions, most of the subjects being closed. If I can be of any use in giving further information I shall be pleased to do so. Had it been a few years ago I should have jumped at the7 cha<nce of> getting a collec<tion>

Believe me | Very truly Yrs | F. D. Godman8 [signature]

1
Champion, George Charles (1851-1927). English entomologist specialising in the study of beetles.
2
The letter has not be found.
3
Birch, Frederick ("Fred") (1876-1952). British naturalist and natural history collector. Honorary Secretary of the Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society.
4
Rothschild, Lionel Walter (1868-1937). British banker, politician and zoologist.
5
Schaus, William (1858-1942). American entomologist who became known for his major contribution to the knowledge and description of new species of the Neotropical Lepidoptera.
6
Whitely, Henry (1844-1892?). English naturalist and explorer.
7
The rest of the sentence was written on the top left corner of page 1.
8
Godman, Frederick DuCane (1834-1919). British ornithologist, entomologist and traveller.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP687.859)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Bevan, Deniz [2014-02-18] Transcription checked by Chua, Christine [2024-11-11]

Please cite as “WCP687,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP687