i8s9-i86j] HATES l8l 



from you. There will be little new, except that perhaps I Letter 121 

 have consulted some out-of-the-way books, and have corre- 

 sponded with some good authorities. Tell me frankly what 

 you think of this ; but unless you will oblige me by accepting 

 remuneration, I cannot and will not give you such trouble. 

 I have little doubt that several points will arise which will 

 require investigation, as I care for many points disregarded 

 by fanciers ; and according to any time thus spent, you will, 

 I trust, allow me to make remuneration. I hope that you 

 will grant me this favour. There is one assistance which 

 I will now venture to beg of you — viz., to get me, if you can, 

 another specimen of an old white Angora rabbit. I want it 

 dead for the skeleton ; and not knocked on the head. Secondly, 

 I see in the Cottage Gardener (March 19th, p. 375) there are 

 impure half-lops with one ear quite upright and shorter than 

 the other lopped ear. I much want a dead one. Baker cannot 

 get one. Baily is looking out ; but I want two specimens. 

 Can you assist me, if you meet any rabbit-fancier ? I have 

 had rabbits with one ear more lopped than the other ; but 

 I want one with one ear quite upright and shorter, and 

 the other quite long and lopped. 



To H. W. Bates. Le tter 122 



Down, March 26th [1861]. 

 I have read your papers l with extreme interest, and I 

 have carefully read every word of them. They seem to me 

 to be far richer in facts of variation, and especially on the 

 distribution of varieties and subspecies, than anything which 

 I have read. Hereafter I shall re-read them, and hope in my 

 future work to profit by them and make use of them. The 

 amount of variation has much surprised me. The analogous 

 variation of distinct species in the same regions strikes me as 

 particularly curious. The greater variability of the female 

 sex is new to me. Your Guiana 2 case seems in some degree 



1 " Contributions to an Insect Fauna of the Amazon Valley." (Read 

 March 5th and Nov. 24th, 1S60). Entomological Soc. Trans. V., 

 pp. 223 and 335. 



8 Mr. Bates (p. 349) gives reason to believe that the Guiana region 

 should be considered "a perfectly independent province," and that it has 

 formed a centre " whence radiated the species which now people the low 

 lands on its borders." 



