, of species."[17]
It is evident that in Bates Wallace found his first real friend and
companion in matters scientific; for in another letter he says: "I quite
envy you, who have friends near you attracted to the same pursuits. I
know not a single person in this little town who studies any one branch
of natural history, so that I am quite alone in this respect." In fact,
except for a little friendly help now and then, as in the case of Mr.
Hayward lending him a copy of Loudon's Encyclopedia of Plants, he had
always pondered over his nature studies without any assistance up to the
time of his meeting Bates at Leicester.
From the date of the above letter (1847) on to the early part of
1855--nearly eight years later--no reference is found either in his Life
or correspondence to the one absorbing idea towards which all his
reflective powers were being directed. Then, during a quiet time at
Sarawak, the accumulation of thought and observation found expression in
an essay entitled "The Law which has regulated the Introduction of
Species," which appeared in the _Annals and Magazine of Natural History_
in the following September (1855).
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