WCP764

Letter (WCP764.936)

[1]1

Walden Cottage

Chislehurst.

Feby — 20 — 1871

Dear Mr. Wallace, With many thanks I return y[ou]r. specimens and regret to have been obliged to keep them so long.

I am going to trouble you with a few questions, which I do with little hesitation as you are the only person able to answer them.

____________________

No — I consider them but slightly different local forms or races

1. Do you admit Colocalia spiluna[?], G. R. Gray, as Batchian [Bacon], & C[olocalia]. neglecta, G. R. Gray, as E. Timor to be distinct species fromC[olocalia]. esculenta (L.)? Judging from y[ou]r. paper on the subject I imagine not.

____________________

X It is probable. Is it not recorded in any of Schlegel’s2 papers on collections from Bernstein3 & Rosenberg4?

2. Is there any authority for saying that Coracias temminckii, occurs also in the Sula Islands? as recorded in Hand list5. No. 899.

[2]6 X3. Gray7, H[and]. list 2074, 2077, 2083, gives these species of Philemon from Celebes [Sulawesi]. Does that or any allied genus occur there at all? No. 2074 you have already shewn8 to be a Mimeta.

I know of none.

4X. Does Climacteris picumnus, Tem[m]. P[lanches]. C[oloriées]9. 281, or any allied genus occur in Celebes?

None to my knowledge C[limacteris]. picumnus undoubtedly an error.

5.X Drymophila alecto T[emm]., where is this from. P[lanches]. C[oloriées]. 430. p. 1. given by Tem[m].10 & Gray from Celebes — does it there occur?

It may be Celebesian, but I saw nothing like it, & I know no locality for it.

♂. Myiagra niteus[?]. G. R. Gray Ternate is not unlike it.

6.X What is Muscicapa hypogrammica, G. R. Gray, Hand list No. 4814? Does it occur in Celebes?

Its [sic] my Butalis hypogrammica. Ibis11 1862. p. 35012, & is the same as Hemichelidon griseisticta. Swinhoe, Ibis. 1861 p. 33013 — a regular visitant to China, according to Blyth14 & Swinhoe15.

7. Munia pallida, Wallace Hand list 6755 — where is this described — does it occur in Celebes? as well as in Lombok & Flores?

[3]

I think not — It would however be well to see what specimens are in the B[ritish]. M[useum]. a few distinct things having been overlooked by me, or mistaken by Stevens16 & so got there.

Walden Cottage

Chislehurst.

X8. Eos cochinsinensis (Lath.) H[and]. list 8202

Xand Ptilonopus flavicollis, G. R. Gray H[and]. l[ist]. 9125 — given as Celebes — I presume neither occur there?

I should say — certainly not.

X9. Ptilonopus zanthogaster [sic], Wagl. = Pt[ilonopus]. diadematus (Tem[m].) H[and]. L[ist]. 9136.

Certainly not.

XPt[ilonopus]. hyogaster, (Reinw.) H[and]. L[ist]. 9144.

Certainly not.

XMacropygia reinwardtii, Tem[m]. 9310

These three are also given as Celebes by Gray on Temminck’s authorit[y] I suppose. As a matter of form will you tell me if they occur there? Your valuable researches appear to be getting ignored by the British Museum ornithologist.

Certainly not.

[4] 10. How many species of Turnix do you know of in Celebes? Gould17 has figured Philippine T[urnix]. fasciata, Tem[m]. as from Macassar [Makassar]. (Birds of Asia).18 Did he figure T[urnix]. rufilatus, Wallace, by mistake.

—

 I only know Turnix rufilatus from Macassar It is quite possible a Philippine sp[ecies] may occur in the North. I do not think Gould had T[urnix]. rufilatus from me.

To save you trouble I have left the opposite sides blank for any remarks you may wish to make.

XLalage aurea is given by Hartlaub19 as Celebes am I safe to include it.

I think not — It is a true Moluccan species, & the Celebes form is L[alage]. orientalis. ? — There is much communication between Ternate & Menado [Manado], and collections of birds & insects from either place are not to be trusted unless sent by some one who knows the value of locality.

Believe me | Truly y[ou]rs | Walden [signature]

XWhat is y[ou]r "Parus?" Ibis 1860, p. 14120. Can you oblige me with the loan of an example of Motacilla flavescens from Timor?

= Prionochilus aureolimbatus. Wall.

21 Is it known for certain that Hirundo javanica Sparrman occurs in Celebes?

____________________

I noted it as common in Macassar, building its new[?] nests in verandahs in the town. I think you may therefore put it as certainly found there, — though it is just possible it may be a distinct race.

___________________

Scythrops novaehollandiae, is common in Amboyna [Ambon] & Ceram [Seram]. I did not find it in any other of the Moluccas.
1
In this manuscript the author has written on one half of each page, leaving space for ARW’s responses on the opposite half. Page 1 consists of the author's writing on the right side of the page and ARW's answers on the left.
2
Schlegel, Hermann (1804-1884). German ornithologist, herpetologist and Director of the Leiden Museum of Natural History 1854-84.
3
Bernstein, Heinrich Agathon (1828-1865). German naturalist who collected specimens in Indonesia for the Leiden Museum.
4
Rosenberg, Carl Benjamin Hermann von (1817-1888). German naturalist who lived and worked in the Dutch East Indies 1840s-60s. Mentioned by ARW several times in The Malay Archipelago.
5
Gray G. R. 1869-1871. Hand-list of genera and species of birds: distinguishing those contained in the British Museum [in 3 parts]. London: By Order of the Trustees.
6
From page 2 to 4 the author writes on the right side of the page and ARW on the left.
7
Gray, George Robert (1808-1872). British zoologist and author. Head of the British Museum’s ornithological section.
8
Archaic form of "shown".
9
Planches Coloriées referring to the 5 volume byTemminck, C.J. & Laugier de Chartrouse, M. (Eds). 1820-1839. Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées d’oiseaux, pour servir de suite et de complement aux planches enluminées de Buffon. Paris: G. Levrault.
10
Temminck, Coenraad Jacob (1778-1858). Dutch zoologist specialising in ornithology; cofounder and first director of Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden.
11
The Ibis is an ornithological journal published by the British Ornithologists' Union since 1859. See Ibis. 2021. IBIS - International journal of ornithology. <http://www.ibis.ac.uk/> [accessed 4 July 2021].
12
Wallace, A. R. 1862. On Some New Birds From the Northern Moluccas. Ibis 4: 348-351.
13
Swinhoe, R. 1861. Notes on Ornithology taken between Takoo and Peking, in the neighbourhood of the Peiho River, Province of Chelee, North China, from August to December. Ibis 3: 328-345.
14
Blyth, Edward (1810-1873). British zoologist; Curator of the Museum of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal 1841-62.
15
Swinhoe, Robert (1836-1877). British diplomat, naturalist and honorary member of the British Ornithologists' Union.
16
Stevens, Samuel (1817-1899). British entomologist and dealer in natural history specimens; agent of ARW.
17
Gould, John (1804-1881). British ornithologist and publisher.
18
Gould, J. 1850-1883. The Birds of Asia. 7 vols. London: Taylor & Francis.
19
Hartlaub, Karl Johan Gustav ("Gustav) (1814-1900). German physician and ornithologist.
20
Wallace, A. R. 1860. The Ornithology of Northern Celebes. Ibis. 2: 140-147.
21
The text which runs from this point until the end of the letter is written at the top of page 1 (left side) of the manuscript. ARW’s responses are written underneath Walden’s question.

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP764.936)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by O'Dell, Sandra [2018-08-15] Transcription checked by Costa, Leslie [2022-07-19]

Please cite as “WCP764,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 29 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP764