News Notes 
FORDYCE GRINNELL, JR. 
“But, of still greater moment, is a letter in which Wallace 
tells Bates that he begins ‘to feel dissatisfied with a mere local 
collection. I should like to take some one family to study thor- 
oughly, principally with a view to the theory of the origin of 
species.’ The two friends had often discussed schemes for going 
abroad to explore some virgin region, nor could their scanty 
means prevent the fulfilment of a scheme which has enriched 
both science and the literature of travel. The choice of country 
to explore was settled by Wallace’s perusal of a little book 
entitled 4 Voyage up the River Amazons, including a residence 
in Para, by W. H. Edwards, an American tourist, published in 
Murray’s ‘Family Library,’ in 1847. In the autumn of that year 
Wallace proposed a joint expedition to the river Amazons for 
the purpose of exploring the natural history of its banks.’’ 
—Clodd, Pioneers of Evolution. 
““That which is in the man is greater than all that he can 
dons —Jordan. 
Alfred Russel Wallace, the eminent naturalist, died in London, 
England, Nov. 7, aged 91 years. He visited California in 1887, 
on a lecturing and sightseeing tour. 
Dr. Edwin C. Van Dyke, president of the Pacific Coast Ento- 
mological Society, has become a member of the Department of 
Entomology of the University of California. 
Mr. H. H. Newcomb talked before the boys of the Lorquin 
Natural History Club in Los Angeles, on November 7, on some 
of his collecting trips in the eastern states. 
The Rivers’ Natural History Club, for boys, has been organ- 
ized in Los Angeles, named after the oldest living naturalist of 
California, J. J. Rivers, who is 88 years of age. 
Mr. E. J. Newcomer, well known as a collector and student of 
Lepidoptera, has been contributing a series of articles to the 
