WCP745

[1]¹

Nov[embe]^r. 9^th <1905> [MS damaged]²

Broadstone

My dear Fred³

I have just got your [MS damaged] Oct[obe]^r 17th. but which did not leave [MS damaged] <Port> of Spain⁴ till the 24th. I was very [MS damaged] to hear that your fever & boils were [MS damaged] getting well, but still no word about the departure for Santa Catalina⁵ — land of promise! I am very glad [MS damaged] seem to like Captain & Mrs. <Boynton>⁶ [MS damaged] you ought to have a fine time there.

A few days after I had written to [MS damaged] with a copy of Mr. Hartert’s⁷ letter about [MS damaged] birds & butterflies &c. I had a reply <from> [MS damaged] Mr. Schill⁸ (whose address is now — "The <Elms> [MS damaged] Macclesfield) telling me that through pressure of business and family <trouble> [MS damaged] he has been able to give no time <to> [MS damaged] collections. He also says — "I often <wonder> why I did not hear from Mr. B[irch] [MS damaged] I thought it was arranged [MS damaged] to be sent to me [MS damaged] [2]⁹ [MS damaged] take the lot or select what I [MS damaged] <wanted>, & in either case make an [MS damaged] <offer> to suit the case. None ever came [MS damaged] <and> I have been rather glad because [MS damaged] <I> have been so terribly busy for years [MS damaged] now, that I have next to no time to [MS damaged] <attend> to what I have let alone any fresh [MS damaged] things... I should very much like to [MS damaged] <see> what he sends but I should probably [MS damaged] <confine> myself to certain groups, and to [MS damaged] the easily recognised species in those groups. [MS damaged] Consequently I could not give an all round [MS damaged] <price> for what he collects, as I have not the [MS damaged] time to attend to resetting. Nor could [MS damaged] I offer a definite price each to pick before [MS damaged] I saw what sort of things he sends. I am [MS damaged] <willing> to pay reasonable prices for what [MS damaged] and send the rest to his family [MS damaged], keeping what I select separate [MS damaged] whether my offer suits him". [MS damaged] perhaps that this will not be very [3] satisfactory, and asks me to suggest <a> [MS damaged] plan. As it seemed "not quite [MS damaged] because he might take very few, [MS damaged] I would make further enquiries, & <wrote> [MS damaged] to ^{an old friend}, Dr. David Sharp¹⁰, Curator of the <University> [MS damaged] Museum at Cambridge¹¹ and a life-<long> [MS damaged] entomologist, asking if he knew of a large buyer of exotic coleoptera¹² who <would> [MS damaged] give a fair price for first choice of <yours> [MS damaged] from Santa Catalina. In reply he <said> [MS damaged] that collectors of exotic beetles were <an> [MS damaged] "extinct species" in England, but he <gave> [MS damaged] me the address of a wealthy French Collector, who was he said a "great friend [MS damaged] <of> his", and who had bought all Bates'¹³ <Collection> [MS damaged] of beetles. So I at once wrote to [MS damaged] him if he was inclined to purchase [MS damaged] a complete set or a large selection <of> [MS damaged] beetles from the Orinoco Delta¹⁴ [MS damaged] could say what price he [MS damaged] specimens in either [MS damaged] [4] [MS damaged] <I> received his reply in French, of [MS damaged] (all but the compliments) I enclose [MS damaged] <a> translation. (see p[age]. 7)

This seems to me very promising, as there [MS damaged] <are> evidently two brothers, one of whom collects <Coleoptera> the other Lep[idoptera].¹⁵ He wrote to me from the [MS damaged] <Auto>mobile Club¹⁶ at Paris, so I fancy they [MS damaged] <are> country gentlemen with entomology [MS damaged] <and> motoring for hobbies. Then as to [MS damaged] <prices>, I wrote to Waterhouse¹⁷ at the British [MS damaged] <Museum>, who has charge of the Coleoptera, to [MS damaged] ask him what they give now for the pick [MS damaged] <of> good collections, or what he considers [MS damaged] <a> fair price, telling him you were going [MS damaged] <to> give up Janson.¹⁸ I await his reply & [MS damaged] <hope> it will come tomorrow before I have <to> [MS damaged] post this. Now, if when you receive [MS damaged] you have not gone to Santa Catalina [MS damaged] any collections by you I think you [MS damaged] send the beetles to France, [MS damaged] asking M[onsieur]. Oberthur¹⁹[sic] [5]²⁰ to send the remainder to Mr Schill. [MS damaged] On second thoughts I think it would <be> [MS damaged] more advisable for you to send a [MS damaged] series (2 specimens of each sp[ecies]. where <available> [MS damaged] to Tring for Lep[idoptera]. and to France for <Col[eoptera]> [MS damaged] and yourself to choose the best <second> [MS damaged] set of Col[eoptera]. for Mr. Schill, and of Lep[idoptera] [MS damaged] <for> France, telling them of course that it <is> [MS damaged] a second set, and making a slight [MS damaged] reduction in the price asked — <both> [MS damaged] returning what they do not want to [MS damaged] Wavertree.²¹ By sending them thus in [MS damaged] lots ^{they will go by parcel post, and} you will be able more easily to [MS damaged] what each has taken. Of course you <attach> [MS damaged] a number to each species, and ^keep a list [MS damaged] a note ^Reference book of all you get, noting the [MS damaged] and if you know it the Genus, and of all [MS damaged] or remarkable things a lit[tle]. sketch & a [MS damaged] description ^{which will be suff[icient]. For} you ^{to identify <it>.} Then I have no doubt [MS damaged] will send you the names of [MS damaged] and the numbers ^{referring to} [MS damaged] [6]²²

[MS damaged] you will thus get a lot of useful & [MS damaged] <interesting> information. You had better also [MS damaged] for reference ^pinned the 3rd. series for yourself [MS damaged] any broken or worn specimens of 1st. or 2nds. [MS damaged] Then any of the rare or new species [MS damaged] <which> you get afterwards you can send to [MS damaged] <those> who took the 2nd. lot, and knowing which [MS damaged] new you could safely send them to [MS damaged] <the B[ritish].> Museum asking a good price for them. [MS damaged] 10.) I have just got Waterhouse’s reply. [MS damaged] <He> says:- "I hardly know how to answer you. [MS damaged] <What> some of the dealers do is to fix a price [MS damaged] <according> to number taken — if only 6 taken [MS damaged] each — if 12, 2/6 — if 50, 2/- if 200, 1/- [MS damaged] <more> 6d.²³ I think some such plan [MS damaged] <would> do. This is of course for 1st. pick. [MS damaged] <2nd.> pick should be much less." [MS damaged] <seems> to me promising as a general [MS damaged] think he makes too much difference [MS damaged] quantities. When more [MS damaged] or large collector [last line missing].

[7]²⁴

Translation of part of letter [MS damaged]

M[onsieur] René Oberthür, Rennes, [MS damaged]

Ille et Vilaine, <France> [MS damaged]

"Willingly I will buy beetles <collected> by your friend, but I cannot [MS damaged] a price before knowing exactly <what> [MS damaged] you propose.

As you know, the value of a <particular> [MS damaged] coleoptera [sic] depends not only on [MS damaged] rarity of the specimens but on <their> [MS damaged] condition.

If you will send me some species [MS damaged] not pinned, I will give you my [MS damaged] opinion of them, but I should [MS damaged] you to send me a small <collection> [MS damaged] of all sorts of beetles, and <yourself> [MS damaged] fix a price.

If you also have Lepidoptera [MS damaged] my brother will buy some. [MS damaged] <Dr. Hartert[?]> of Tring was at Rennes a [MS damaged] since, and he has spoken [MS damaged] Collection from Trinidad [MS damaged]

Your friend [MS damaged] [8]²⁵ [MS damaged] there some good species of [MS damaged] <orchids>. Do you know if he sends [MS damaged] any to Europe".

[End of translation]

[MS damaged] Mr. Schill it shows that they are [MS damaged] <rare> or new, only there would be more [MS damaged] <small> and obscure things. If you get [MS damaged] really fine coll[ectio]ⁿ. of beetles at Santa Catalina [MS damaged] think we may ask 2/- or 2/6 all round [MS damaged] ^{lowest 2 francs} 1st. pick and 6d. or 9^d. less for 2nd. pick. [MS damaged] but we need not hurry. Let us see what [MS damaged] <they> say to the first sample lot; and then [MS damaged] <when> you send a really good lot from [MS damaged] S[anta]. C[atalina]., if you will send me the number of [MS damaged] the chief families in it — Carabidae,²⁶ Longicornes,²⁷ Curculionidae,²⁸ Lamellicorns,²⁹ [MS damaged], Buprestidae³⁰ — I think I shall [MS damaged] <be> able to judge what price to ask. Before [MS damaged] <time> I shall perhaps be able to get [MS damaged] <information>. I will now reply generally [MS damaged], & Macclesfield, and I think [MS damaged] <beetles> & 2 of Lep[idoptera]. You will [9]³¹be able to do very well without [MS damaged] Should you find an Agent in <America> [MS damaged] you can send the rest of your [MS damaged] to him, & see what price he gets <for> [MS damaged] them. As good specimens from a [MS damaged] locality they may be saleable at [MS damaged] prices.

As to the Caecilias³² plenty seems to <be> [MS damaged] known of their anatomy embryology [MS damaged] and also of their general habits. [MS damaged] are Amphibians with the habits of [MS damaged] earthworms, just as the slow <worms> [MS damaged] are lizards with the habits of <snakes> [MS damaged] Even if you had known they were [MS damaged] Tucuche³³ you would probably know [MS damaged] more than you do now, and it is [MS damaged] likely you could have seen or [MS damaged] one even if you had carried a [MS damaged] pick to the top of the <mountain> [MS damaged] natives no doubt do [MS damaged] or specimens [MS damaged] [10] [MS damaged] Probably they come to the surface at night.

[MS damaged] was curious your dreaming about doctors [MS damaged] your fever. Did you have a doctor? [MS damaged] Pray don’t have fever any more! Now you [MS damaged] know what it is and that if you get <it> [MS damaged] again, you will become more subject [MS damaged] it, perhaps you will really consider eating and drinking of some importance, and not [MS damaged] pride yourself on your power of "living on [MS damaged] anything", or on doing the work of 2 niggers! [MS damaged] Good and really nourishing food is far [MS damaged] more important in the tropics than at home, [MS damaged] <and> more nourishment is required on account [MS damaged] <of> the incessant perspiration, and the greater [MS damaged] due to high temperatures.

A couple of months back Mr. Thayer³⁴ [MS damaged] a letter on which he had paid [MS damaged] <dollar> postage! It contained a [MS damaged] set of rough papers on his [MS damaged] as to protective [11] colouration, and lots of pieces [MS damaged] of papers! and butterflies cut out <from> [MS damaged] wall-papers, and a number of [MS damaged] bad photos out of focus of <skunk[?]> [MS damaged] & other animals, showing as he [MS damaged] thinks that all the colours and <markings[?]> of all mammals & birds, however conspicuous, are really <protective> [MS damaged] under some aspects & from <certain> [MS damaged] points of view. He exaggerates [MS damaged] a good deal, but I believe he [MS damaged] considerably right, and that even [MS damaged] almost innumerable cases of [MS damaged] "Recognition Marks" have been so [MS damaged] & guided under the constant <action> [MS damaged] of a most rigid natural selection [MS damaged] they never interfere with and <often> [MS damaged] help the almost universal [MS damaged] for concealment at some [MS damaged] But he wants to apply <it> [MS damaged] conspicuous [MS damaged] [12] [MS damaged] Wasps, & Coral Snakes, &c. [MS damaged] there I think he is quite wrong. <It> is a point on which you can observe. [MS damaged] I shall tell M[onsieur]. Oberthür that you know [MS damaged] <nothing> about Orchids, as ^{and that} you will have all [MS damaged] <your> work cut out collecting Insects & Birds. [MS damaged] <I> shall write to him and to Tring telling [MS damaged] <them> both that you will send these sets [MS damaged] your first collections, and will accept [MS damaged] Mr. Rothschild’s³⁵ offer. Also to Mr Schill [MS damaged] telling him that you have arranged to [MS damaged] send first set of beetles to France, but [MS damaged] will send him the second set for him [MS damaged] <to> select from. I will also enquire [MS damaged] Mr. Rothschild likes the moths sent — <pinned>, set, or in papers. I will also tell [MS damaged] <Mr Schill> why you did not send anything to him, having [MS damaged] &c.

[MS damaged] now. I hope next to hear that [MS damaged] or that you really are [MS damaged]

[MS damaged] [Alfred] R. Wallace [signature]