WCP6933

[1]

Broadstone, Wimborne.

August 26th. 1907

Dear Mr. Slater

Thanks for Spruce's letters. I will use a large part of that from San Gabriel as it contains interesting matter not in any of his other letters. I wish you had more.

The "Analyses" of Agaricus & Carex in the earliest of Spruce's writing I have not seen. He was then barely 20, & had a rather flourishy hand, which afterwards began became the very neat & clear writing of his later life.[2]

The earliest reference to him as a botanist ^{(which I have seen)} is in the "Herbarium" of Phil. Soc. paper you sent,me, under H. Ibbetson — where it says that he & Spruce were constantly together ^botanising, between the years 1826-40. That would be when Spruce was 19. I should like to know if he had taken any interest in plants earlier than that.

I shall be very glad to have the Spanish "Geographia" of Senador[?], chiefly for the [3] plants — which if fairly good can be reproduced to illustrate "the Book". I could get no photos. at all ^{of Spruce's localities} at the R. Geog. Society though they have a very large collection from all parts of the world.

My eye is all right again now, & I shall soon go on & finish off "the book".

Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature] [4]¹

Aug. 27 replied

Offered to send 3 Vol Phytologist & to write out names of mosses with localities of his early gatherings

Sent — Geographia Republic of Ecuador