About ten miles to the east is the
coast of the large Island of Gilolo, perhaps the most perfect
entomological _terra incognita_ now to be found. I am not aware that a
single insect has ever been collected there, and cannot find it given as
the locality of any insects in my catalogues or descriptions. In about a
week I go for a month collecting there, and then return to prepare for a
voyage to New Guinea. I think I shall stay in this place two or three
years, as it is the centre of a most interesting and almost unknown
region. Every house here was destroyed in 1840 by an earthquake during
an eruption of the volcano....

What great political events have passed since we left England together!
And the most eventful for England, and perhaps the most glorious, is the
present mutiny in India, which has proved British courage and pluck as
much as did the famed battles of Balaclava and Inker-man. I believe that
both India and England will gain in the end by the fearful ordeal. When
do you mean returning for good? If you go to the Andes you will, I
think, be disappointed, at least in the number of species, especially of
Coleoptera. My experience here is that the low grounds are much the most
productive, though the mountains generally produce a few striking and
brilliant species....--Yours sincerely,

ALFRED R. WALLACE.

* * * * *

TO F. BATES

_Ternate. March 2, 1858._

My dear Mr. Bates,--When I received your very acceptable letter (a month
ago) I had just written one to your brother, which I thought I could not
do better than send to you to forward to him, as I shall thereby be able
to confine myself solely to the group you are studying and to other
matters touched upon in your letter. I had heard from Mr. Stevens some
time ago that you had begun collecting exotic Geodephaga, but were
confining yourself to one or two illustrations of each genus. I was
sure, however, that you would soon find this unsatisfactory. Nature must
be studied in detail, and it is the wonderful variety of the species of
a group, their complicated relations and their endless modification of
form, size and colours, which constitute the pre-eminent charm of the
entomologist's study. It is with the greatest satisfaction, too, I hail
your accession to the very limited number of collectors and students of
exotic insects, and sincerely hope you may be sufficiently favoured by
fortune to enable you to form an extensive co