WCP783

Letter (WCP783.955)

[1]

Old Orchard

Broadstone

Wimborne

Nov[embe]r 23rd 1908

Dear Mr. Waterhouse

Can you give me the nearest available estimate of the total number of described, or known Coleptera1 — or those in the Museum2?

I would also be much obliged if you would obtain from Mr. Kirby3 (or whoever is now in charge of the Lepidoptera4) the approximate number of species in that order.

Also if any estimate has recently been made — the number of all known Insects.

As I only want them for the [2] purpose of a lecture I am preparing for the Royal Institution, almost any approximate estimate will be sufficient.

Yours very truly Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

1
Coleptera, commonly known as beetles.
2
British Museum (Natural History)
3
William Forsell Kirby, English entomologist and folklorist. Staff member at British Museum (Natural History) in charge on Lepidoptera.
4
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP783.955)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Benny, Ruth [2014-01-28]

Please cite as “WCP783,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 29 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP783