[1]

Notes for Mr. Foxcroft from AR. Wallace

To collect Insects successfully in the Tropics you must get close to or in the true virgin forest. — If possible get a patch of forest cleared & a hut put up to live in — you will then get double the collections in the same time. On the trees cut down & drying near your house you will get hosts of Longicorns & Curculios. — As the bark rots, it will swarm with Carabi & Stephalinidae — On the bark of fallen trees in the sunshine Buprestidae, at night good things will come to a lamp, beat dead leaves assiduously, they produce good things especially when thick & damp — Rare Butterflires & variety of species can only be found in the forest paths — The very finest ground is where new roads or extensive clearings are being made through lofty forest — Seek out for such if possible & you will be well rewarded. — If none such can be found, at all events have few large trees cut down near your house — they will produce good things morning & evening & at spare times when you cannot go far, palm tree flowers & the sap of the toddy pal, attract Celonias & Lucani. — Living trees produce nothing except larvae, it is useless to search on them. — Under stones & on sandy places & on bare ground, little or nothing, the forest is the place for every thing fine & swampy forest is generally the best especially on the slopes of mountains. — From 9 am to 2 pm I find the best general collecting time — you would much oblige me by registering your captures daily & would find it interesting thus

June 1	Coleoptera	Lepa	Other orders
	35 species	18 species	44 species

and at the end of each month make a summary of the N^o of species collected in each family & order — Insects are seldom so abundant in the tropics as in England except just about & after the wet season. Four or five hours a day must be spent in diligent search & you will then be astonished at the new & fine things constantly turning up.

Hoping these notes the result of 8 years tropical collecting may be of use — yours truly, Alfred R. Wallace

Ternate Moluccas. Oct 5^th 1858

[2]

Direct all cases if sent by mail steamer

M^r. S. Stevens.

24 Bloomsbury Street.

London

 

Care of

Mr. J. Deal Jun.

Custom House Agent

High Street

Southampton

with great care

 

Direction for Collecting in the Tropics by A.R.Wallace

for M^r H. Squires