_
My dear Poulton,--About two months ago an American ... sent me the
enclosed booklet,[41] which he had been told was very rare, and
contained an anticipation of Darwinism.
This it certainly does, but the writer was highly imaginative, and, like
all the other anticipators of Darwin, did not perceive the whole scope
of his idea, being, as he himself says, not sufficiently acquainted with
the facts of nature.
His anticipations, however, of diverging lines of descent from a common
ancestor, and of the transmission of disease germs by means of insects,
are perfectly clear and very striking.
As you yourself made known one of the anticipators of Darwin, whom he
himself had overlooked, you are the right person to make this known in
any way you think proper. As you have so recently been in America, you
might perhaps ascertain from the librarian of the public library in
Boston, or from some of your biological friends there, what is known of
the writer and of his subsequent history.
If the house at Down is ever dedicated to Darwin's memory it would seem
best to preserve this little book there; if not you can dispose of it as
you think best.--Yours very truly,
ALFRED R. WALLACE.
P.S.--Two of my books have been translated into Japanese: will you
ascertain whether the Bodleian would like to have them?
* * * * *
TO PROF. POULTON[42]
_Old Orchard, Broadstone, Dorset, June 3, 1913.
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