The Wallace-Darwin Correspondence 



5 Westbourne Grove Terrace, W. January 31, [1865 ?]. 



Dear Darwin, — Many thanks for your kind letter. I send 

 you now a few more papers. One on Man is not much 

 in your line. The other three are bird lists, but in the 

 introductory remarks are a few facts of distribution that 

 may be of use to you, and as you have them already in the 

 Zoological Proceedings^ you can cut these up if you want 

 ^^ extracts." 



I hope you do not very much want the Aru pig to be a 

 domestic animal run wild, because I have no doubt myself 

 it was the species peculiar to the New Guinea fauna {Sus 

 papuensis^ Less.), a very distinct form. I have no doubt it 

 is this species, though I did not get it myself there, because 

 I was told that on a small island near, called there Pulo babi 

 (Pig Island), was a race of pigs (different from and larger 

 than those of the large islands) which had originated from 

 the wreck of a large ship near a century ago. The pro- 

 ductions of the Aru Islands closely resemble those of New 

 Guinea, more than half the species of birds being identical, 

 as well as about half of the few known mammals. 



I am beginning to work at some semi -mechanical 

 work, drawing up catalogues of parts of my collection for 

 publication. 



I enclose my '^ carte." Have you a photograph of your- 

 self of any kind you can send me ? When you come to town 

 next, may I beg the honour of a sitting for my brother-in-law, 

 Mr. Sims, 73 Westbourne Grove ? — Yours very sincerely, 



Alfred R. Wallace. 



P.S. — Your paper on Ly thrum salicaria^ is most beauti- 

 ful. What a wonderful plant it is ! I long to hear your 

 paper on Tendrils and hear what you have got out of them. 

 My old friend Spruce, a good botanist and close observer, 



* Paper on the three forms of Lythrum. 

 L 161 



