Alfred Russel Wallace 



could probably supply you with some facts on that or other 

 botanical subjects if you would write to him. He is now 

 at Kew, but almost as ill as yourself. — A. E. W. 



Doim, Bromley, Kent, S.E. February 1, 1865. 



My dear Wallace, — I am much obliged for your photo- 

 graph, for I have lately set up a scientific album; and for 

 the papers, which I will read before long. I enclose my 

 own photo, taken by my son, and I have no other. 



I fear it will be a long time before I shall be able to sit 

 to a photogi^apher, otherwise I should be happy to sit to 

 Mr. Sims. 



Thanks for information about the Aru pig, which will 

 make me very cautious. 



It is a perplexing case, for Nathusius says the skull of 

 the Aru resembles that of the Chinese breed, and he thinks 

 that Bus papuensis has been founded on a young skull; 

 D. Blainville stating that an old skull from New Guinea 

 resembles that of the wild pigs of Malabar, and these belong 

 to the S. scrofa type, which is different from the Chinese 

 domestic breed. The latter has not been found in a wild 

 condition. — Believe me, dear Wallace, yours very sincerely, 



Ch. Darwin. 



9 St. Mark's Crescent, Regent's Park, N,W. Sept 18, 1865. 



Dear Darwin, — I should have written before to thank 

 you for the copy of your paper on climbing plants, which I 

 read with great interest; I can imagine how much pleasure 

 the working out must have given you. I was afraid you were 

 too ill to make it advisable that you should be bothered with 

 letters. 



I write now, in hopes you are better, to communicate a 

 curious case of variation becoming at once hereditary^ which 

 was brought forward at the British Association. I send a 



162 



