WCP760

[1]¹

Broadstone, [Wimborne]²

Sept[embe]r.. [numbers missing]

My dear Fred

I received yours [of] [word missing] on Saturday evening (Sep. 8), a[nd] [in] accordance with Mr. Thayer’s wish [I?] sent your previous letter about the [word missing] &c. to Prof. Poulton, &have also to[letters missing] that I have a very long letter of a [word missing] ago from Mr. T.- with photos. of aut[letters missing]³ &will send them if he wishes to see[word missing]

As to your own affairs, you see[m] drawn so many ways that, until you decided on the one course to which [you] are to be subordinated, neither I n[or] [any] one else can advise you usefully[.] [I] therefore only now give my opin[ion] [on a] few of the special points you refe[r] [word missing] health, I am convinced that the [words missing] and general health-condition[s] [in the] forest regions are as [bad] [words missing] in this [words missing] Is [letters missing] ⁴[2]⁵ [heal]thier than the N.E. States of [America], with their excessive and sudden [ran]ges of temperature, or than many [par]ts of England: and⁶ especially healthy [for] children owing to the possibility of their [breathi]ng always in pure air.

[As] to the possibility of living by your own [lab]our on the land, I should say the [ad]vantages of, say, B. Guiana as compared to England or the U.S., are as three or [fou]r to one — or even more.

As to earning a moderate competence [over] a few years pleasurable work. I know [no] way so sure as collecting in a rich [environmen]t and I can hear of no district [word missing] to be so rich as that to be reached [Los] Iquitos as a centre. For an [?] there is probably nothing to [word missing] [?ote], as it is wonderfully dry [words missing] [distance] of [words missing] hills [3]⁷ and mountain’s where the rain f[all] [is] very heavy and the vegetation i[s] luxuriant. But, for that reason would probably not be rich in us[able] Spruce found it very rich in plants, [word missing] made continual excursions, of a [few days] or weeks, to all the surrounding un[dergrowth] & forests — but this would not pay [word missing] entomological collector, and all the [travel/carriage?] is on foot, which is very expensive [at] best⁸ but I fear a long way behind, [word missing] be one of the old settlements on [the] Demerara⁹ river, where there are [word missing] villages near and abundant roa[ming] paths¹⁰ through the forest.

Now I will say a few words a[bout] Thayers’ extreme "protection-by-colou[ration".] I have no doubt that there a[re] [words missing] [amass] [had] t[?] [words missing] in h[?] [4]¹¹ [?]s of so many mammals & birds [is] [ad]mirable & conclusive, and he has [the] edit of it all over the world. But in [?]ssent extension¹² the protection-idea to colouration whatever, I think he is very [clear]ly wrong. Nature is far too complex [and] [ot]her forces are too nicely balanced, [?] [a]lone made of protection in the struggle [for] life to be the almost exclusive one. [I] know that there are extensive groups [of] [in]sects that are in various ways inedible [and] hurtful to the usual enemies of such [crea]tures, and we see also that in a great [diver]sity of these are gaudily or conspicuously [displa]yed; and¹³ that they do not seek [conseal]ment, as do the protectively coloured [insects?] Then, there is the other set of facts [?]lausal? are protectively coloured [words missing] [?]les are conspicuous — and [words missing] female [words missing] [?]nest [5]¹⁴ are just as gaudy & conspicuous [as the] males -^, while in the very same [way that] thousands of other birds equally g[audy] & conspicuous in the male, have [word missing] female — on the upper side at all [word missing] of highly protective colours, and [word missing] all without exception sit on op[en] nests. — Then there are the [word missing] number of birds, which have, for[?] species, characteristic spots¹⁵ or ban[ds on] the wings or tail which are not [used] during flight — so also the rab[bit] white under-side of tail only [seen] when running — and the Spring [word missing] white patch above the tail, on [word missing] by the retraction of the hair — [when] running! Then if ¹⁶ we [word missing] these the enormous numbers [words missing] of the cases of [minute?] [word missing] species [words missing] qu[words missing] [6]¹⁷ [a] [s]tretch of imagination he [de]nied as having been brought [o]ut for purposes of concealment, [and] have probably not less than [the] fourth of all insects which [g]ain the protection they need [in] other ways than by being [con]cealed from their enemies.

Yet there is I think a certain [am]ount of truth in Mr.Thayer’s [vi]ew dependent on the fact that [the] insect-eating animals have to [lear]n by experience what is inedable [or] dangerous. In his process a [cer]tain "toll" of each species is taken, [and] in many cases it will be an [advan]tage to diminish this "toll", [word missing] [ca]n be done by such an [words missing]ing" [words missing]re, [7]¹⁸ and with certain enemi[es] [word missing] also tend to concealment [word missing] these cases are I think not numerous, or very important.

There are hardly any combin[ations] of colour which may not in [certain] positions & with certain su[rroundings] become¹⁹ hardly visible, but this [is of] very little use to the species [if] its usual positions and hau[nts] is undoubtedly conspicuous [and] the hundreds of Carare of Euch[?] Jacobea I saw the other da[y] exposing themselves on the Rag[?]²⁰I daresay two or three of these [?] so placed on the same pla[ces] [on] the flowers, as to be almost [identical] but that would not affect [word missing] in nature they [words missing] fut[ure] [words missing] [8]²¹ by the great majority of [insec]tivorious animals.

I shall hope to hear soon that [yo]u²² been able with your friends’ [ass]istance to decide on some [co]urse of action that will be [li]kely to be successful,- and I [al]so hope it will not be one [tha]t will involve giving up your [ca]reer as a collecting & observing [na]turalist for which you are so [pe]culiarly fitted.

Believe me | Yours very Sincerely | Alfred R.Wallace [signature]