I hope you will write to me and tell me your projects.
Stevens hinted at your undertaking a "Fauna of the Amazon Valley." It
would be a noble work, but one requiring years of labour, as of course
you would wish to incorporate all existing materials and would have to
spend months in Berlin and Milan and Paris to study the collections of
Spix, Natterer, Oscolati, Castituan and others, as well as most of the
chief private collections of Europe. I hope you may undertake it and
bring it to a glorious conclusion. I have long been contemplating such a
work for this Archipelago, but am convinced that the plan must be very
limited to be capable of completion....--I remain, dear Bates, yours
very sincerely,
ALFRED R. WALLACE.
* * * * *
TO H.W. BATES
_Ternate. December 24, 1860._
Dear Bates,--Many thanks for your long and interesting letter. I have
myself suffered much in the same way as you describe, and I think more
severely. The kind of _taedium vitae_ you mention I also occasionally
experience here. I impute it to a too monotonous existence.
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