Characteristics 



She was the eldest daughter of Mr. William Mitten, of Hurst- 

 pierpoint, an enthusiastic botanist, and in no mean degree 

 she inherited her father's love of wild flowers and of the 

 beautiful in nature. It was this similarity of tastes which 

 led to her close intimacy and subsequent marriage, in 1866, 

 with Wallace. Their married life was an exceedingly happy 

 one. She was able to help him in his scientific labours, 

 and she provided that atmosphere in the home life which 

 enabled him to devote himself to his many-sided enter- 

 prises. And nothing would give him more joy than to 

 know that this book is dedicated to her memory. 



Soon after Wallace's death a Committee was formed 

 (with Prof. Poulton as Chairman and Prof. Meldola as 

 Treasurer) to erect a memorial, and the following petition 

 was sent to the Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey : 



We, the undersigned, earnestly desiring a suitable 

 national memorial to the late Alfred Russel Wallace, and 

 believing that no position would be so appropriate as 

 Westminster Abbey, the burial-place of his illustrious 

 fellow-worker Charles Darwin, petition the Eight Eeverend 

 the Dean and Chapter for permission to place a medallion 

 in Westminster Abbey. We further guarantee, if the medal- 

 lion be accepted, to pay the Abbey fees of £200. 



Arch. Geikie John W. Judd 



William Crookes Oliver J. Lodge 



A. B. Kempe E. B. Poulton 



E. Ray Lankester A. Strahan 



D. H. Scx)TT H. H. Turner 



D. Prain J. Larmor 



A. E. Shipley W. Ramsay 



Raphael Meldola Silvanus P. Thompson 



P. A. MACiL\HON John Perry 



James March.\nt 

 (Hon. Sec.) 



253 



