Alfred Russel Wallace 



obscure at times. Most of what he says has been said so 

 much more forcibly by Buckle, whose work I have read for 

 the second time with increased admiration, although with 

 a clear view of some of his errors. Nevertheless, his is I 

 think unapproachably the grandest work of the present 

 century, and the one most likely to liberalise opinion. Lub- 

 bock's book is very good, but his concluding chapter very 

 weak. Why are men of science so dreadfully afraid to say 

 what they think and believe ? 



In reply to your kind inquiries about myself, I can only 

 say that I am ashamed of my laziness. I have done nothing 

 lately but write a paper on Pigeons for the Ihis^ and am 

 drawing up a Catalogue of my Collection of Birds. 



As to my *^ Travels,'' I cannot bring myself to undertake 

 them yet, and perhaps never shall, unless I should be for- 

 tunate enough to get a wife who would incite me thereto 

 and assist me therein — which is not likely. 



I am glad to hear that the ^^ Origin " is still working its 

 revolutionary way on the Continent. Will Mtiller's book on 

 it be translated ? 



I am glad to hear you are a little better. My poor friend 

 Spruce is still worse than you are, and I fear now will not 

 recover. He wants to write a book if he gets well enough. — 

 With best wishes, believe me yours very faithfully, 



Alfred E. Wallace. 



Down, Bromley, Kent, S.E. January 22, 1866. 



My dear Wallace, — I thank you for your paper on 

 Pigeons,' which interested me, as everything that you 



» " On the Pigeons of the Malay Archipelago," Ibis, October, 1865. Wallace 

 points out (p. 366) that " the most striking superabundance of pigeons, as well 

 as of parrots, is confined to the Australo-Malayan sub-regions in which . . . the 

 forest-haunting and fruit-eating mammals, such as monkeys and squirrels, are 

 totally absent." He points out also that monkeys are '* exceedingly destructive 

 to eggs and young birds."— Note, " More Letters," i. 265, 



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