WCP733

[1]

Broadstone, <Wimborne>

April 25th. <1905>

My dear Fred¹

Yours of April 6th. arrived 2[MS burned] Your attack of fever was sharp and very [MS burned] I never had such preliminary symptoms. [MS burned] took too much quinine at a dose. Had y<ou> taken it earlier & half the dose daily it <wd> probably have stopped the attack with no <side> effects.

Now as to what you say a<bout> Janson,² and Mr. Druce,³ and the collections which Prof. Poulton⁴ tells me of the ^absurdly low prices of butterflies & moths from places where <there> are resident or mature collectors, it see<ms> that Janson was not far off in his <statement.> As I told you, my only doubt is as to the [MS burned] Druce paid for the first series of all the Lep<idoptera.> It seems to me that sh^d have been ab<out> 6d, as it included a sprinkling of rar<e> [MS burned] some new sp., and all in fine condition [MS burned] that pick, no doubt on average of [MS burned] much as he can get. I [MS burned] I think I said before [MS burned] [2] [MS burned]t of your collections from Trinidad <J>anson, as there appears to be no <rea>son whatever for breaking with him <un>less he actually refused to give the <in>formation as to the prices you asked for. [MS burned] , as to the beetles — who had the first <pic>k how many he took, and at what <pri>ce? That all comes in one line of [MS burned] statement of account , and cannot be [MS burned]used on grounds of "too much work" without some ulterior object.

Again, pray do not think of sending anything to anybody without a previous <de>finite arrangement. By doing so you <wi>ll be putting yourself entirely in their <power>, besides putting them into an awkward position. It is almost sure [MS burned] lead to dissatisfaction, and perhaps [MS burned] quarrel, and then ^{you will have} to seek another [MS burned]haser — "better to bear the ills you have [MS burned]thers that you know not of" — [MS burned] <som>etimes just as [3] greedy and unfair as needs [MS burned] be. I repeat what I said before — [MS burned] I hear that it is necessary to part [MS burned] Janson, & that you have actually [MS burned] then I will and make and arrang<ement> with Druce and Rothschild⁵ for your collections; but it is evident from [MS burned] Mr. Jordan said, that they will not [MS burned] any more Venezuelan insects <having> apparently had enough from [MS burned] Santa Catalina is so near Trinidad <and> also so near B. Guiana that you [MS burned] expect more than a small propor<tion> [MS burned] new species. But should it turn ou<t to> be a really rich locality for inse<cts> generally (nearly equal to Para [MS burned] <)> so that you can, as Jordan says, [MS burned] insects of all orders, then, no <doubt you> can profitably stay a year there [MS burned] it is poor again, Trinidad, [MS burned] 2-3 months would be <enough> [MS burned] last accounts ^{in your letter} [MS burned] [4] arranging, and I really hope you will <be at> length rewarded. You do not say if <there> are any Indians about, or if all the <wor>kmen are negroes. It will be a great <a>dvantage to have the hospitality and <f>riendship of Mrs Boynton, and no <do>ubt the Scotchman, Mr. Stanley Adam <w>ill be equally hospitable, as visitors [MS burned] are not business competitors are <al>ways welcome in such countries.

I do not myself ^{think that} any "hills" or mountains [MS burned] ^generally so rich in insects as the lowland, <g>enerally, very poor. Roads, paths, and <the> banks of streams are the places.

Of course the Andes or other big moun<tains> are different, but these too, I feel [MS burned] <pre>tty sure it will be the valley bottoms <tha>t will be richest.

<It is> interesting what you say about frogs [MS burned] butterflies! Do not think I shall [MS burned] — I am too busy. Perhaps the [MS burned] bit of wing it bites out [5] (5) and is satisfied with it: the wing [MS burned] be distasteful even in Heliconids. So [MS burned] a frog could hardly swallow the who<le> body of the butterfly. Again these little [MS burned] don’t hurt the butterfly, so it needs n<o> protection from them! Look out for a fr<og> swallowing a whole butterfly!

As to what you say about Poulton’s lot <of> insects I should simply ask him to [MS burned] them to Janson to be sold on your <behalf.> You cannot expect him to hunt for [MS burned] purchaser. ^{He is tremendously busy— has a big book} [MS burned] Besides you ought to sen<d> them to Janson as long as he is your agent. I really hope he ^(Janson) will agree [MS burned] you asked and you have no need to to give him up. It will be far better on the whole.

As to your enquiry about Prof. [MS burned] ^{mimicking specimens} I should say, send all to Janson [MS burned] make up a box or more of ill<ustrations> of Mimicry, for Prof. Poulton [MS burned] first pick from [MS burned] [6] [MS burned] the £.10. is paid, you can still [MS burned] all the cases of mimicry in separate <bo>xes from which Poulton is to have <f>irst pick. As I said before, if you [MS burned] begin sending things separately [MS burned] a number of people without a <p>revious clear arrangement as to <p>rices and time and mode of payment, you will involve yourself in endless trouble, and will find it impossible <to> satisfy all, or even any. That is the immense advantage of a good agent, and paying him a liberal commission. As I said as the very first, 20 p.c. is not too much for a really honest and <cap>able agent, who will give you <fu>ll information of all important [MS burned]les. It will then be his interest to [MS burned] always the best prices, and he can [MS burned] infinitely better than you [MS burned] if Janson is honest [7] — and we really have no reason [MS burned] to consider him otherwise — your. [MS burned] collections could near pay him for <the> trouble of disposing of them. I think therefore that if he meets you half-<way> you might say a word of apology [MS burned] regret for having complained of the [MS burned] low prices so far ^{(due to your ignorance (and mine) of these low pr<ices>} for if he is not [MS burned] actual swindler he must feel [MS burned] to be very unreasonable on your [MS burned]

I think you had better offer h<im> the 20 p.c. for all your future colle<ctions> on condition that he gives you a full statement of names of all buyers of more than 20/- value, [MS burned] numbers & prices of specimens bou<ght> [MS burned] names of any species of special val<ue> for your guidance. This is only [MS burned] you asked for at first. This [MS burned] sure, will be far better th<an> [MS burned] to bargain yourself [MS burned] [8] up the Amazon!¹⁶

[MS burned] will leave you with an immense [MS burned] <set> of duplicates ^{(and miscellaneous collectn.)} on hand, which will deteriorate in value before you return home.

When writing to him next you might ask him what he thinks of Nicaragua [MS burned] Brazil, as regards saleability of insects, [MS burned] if he knowsany district known to <be> rich but insufficiently worked, not <too> remote from where you are. He was <an> entomologist, and I think a dealer in <ins>ects before I went to the East, and <m>ust know better than any one else <w>hat districts of Tropical America are <le>ast known. But you must smooth [MS burned] down a little! I wish you had [MS burned] an Agent as Sam. Stevens⁶ was to <me> and Bates.⁷ Perhaps Janson is really [MS burned] , but conditions as to the market for [MS burned] now very different.

[MS burned] sincerely

[MS burned] <Alfred> R.Wallace — [signature]