WCP701

[1]¹

Broadstone, Do<rset>

Nov. 15th. 190<3>²

My dear Fred³

I wrote to 2..3 peo<ple> for spare descriptive papers for you, but hitherto have had <no> replies.

I am afraid the lot of ref<erfences> you have from the Zoo^l. Record w<MS burned> be of very of very little use to you. I just looked up the Ibis & find they are either short description papers of a visit to Brazilian Guiana with notes of the collected or seen — were <MS burned> or descriptions of about ½ <MS burned> nests & eggs of Para birds.

I send you now what wil<l be> of more use to you — the com<plete> List of all known birds from <MS burned> & whole Amazon Valley — from the g[MS burned, [2] Probably half of those from the Lower Amazon or the Rio Negro will be either identical with Guiana species or have near representative forms there.

I also send you the two first parts of the Album with coloured figures of a good many species — These will enable you to recognise a good many species — & to know a good many genera. By marking in the Catalogue (in red ink) all the species you have figured here, you will know which to make notes of <to> the B. M. <British Museum> I do not know if you <ca>n make out latin bird-descriptions. [If] you can I could give you any old <co>py of Bonaparte’s Conspectics, ^which will <con>tains all the older known species <MS burned>, and short characters of great <MS burned> of them. The Chatterers & <MS burned> almost all described. [3] I found it invaluable in the East. The B. Mus. Catalogue of all the specially American families would be better still — especially the Tanagridae, Ioteridae, Tyrannidae, Dandrocolaptidae &c. which abound in species — but I am afraid they are both bulky & costly.

I would also give you a v<ery> old copy of Boisduval’s Species Gen de Lepidopteres – cont^g descriptions in french of all the known Pap<MS burned> & Peridae of 70 years ago, <MS burned> including almost all the Ge<MS burned> species; — if you can make th<em> out.

The Jackass Penguins — are Antar<ctic> Cape of <MS burned> Falk<lands> "Reis" is "Travels" in Suriname.

When you go to London I will <MS burned> you a note to the Librarian of <MS burned> Soc. where you can see “T<MS burned> anything useful in it. <MS burned> [4] <MS burned>t Georgetown, no doubt.

It really does not matter whether you go to London before Xmas or after. I think at this time of year it would be better not to cycle, as with short days, wet & bad roads, & lodgings on the way you would not have much by it. It seems a pity to make two journeys ^{(really three)} if you go from Southhampton. But that you must arrange as you find best. You can go for a day to Tring when <in> London. Perhaps it would be best <to> wait till you hear from Mr. De Jonge⁴ and then make one journey of it. — Oxford — London ( Tring), Here, Southhampton. This would save with time & expense & give more <MS burned> at home to make all your <arrang>ements.

Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

[5] P.S. As this List of Amazon b<irds> is well printed with wide margins there is room for a short character of a good many species which you might co<py> from the B. M. catalogue (if as I suppose that has descriptions. Also you might copy out all the descriptions (abbreviated) Guian of Guiana and Venezuelan birds in same Cat^l <catalogue> on nearly sa<me> sized paper to be interleaved in proper places. This would form <an> invaluable book of reference as re<MS burned> Birds, & all you really want as b<MS burned> generally for S. America are hardly worth collecting except for beauty & skins, — most being so common. I used powdered arsenic for bird skins pa arsenical soap only for mammals, reptiles &c. I suppose you know <the> value of plaster of Paris cla<MS burned> feathers &c. Glue <MS burned> [6] <MS burned>r on this list & it will be <in>valuable. On the added leaves & margins you might note colours of eyes, legs &c. & other notes.

A.R.W.

At the B. M. you will have to <sp>end all your time in the <I>nsect Room with Mr. Kirby⁵ & Mr. Waterhouse,⁶ to whom I will give you notes, but I have already asked them <for> descriptive papers for you.

A.R.W.

Mr. Oldfield Thomas⁷ — the mammal <MS burned> an of the Museum will tell you what they want & show you our skins & skeletons are to be <MS burned>ut, & I think the Museum will probably take a complete set of the small mammals.

A.R.W.