My dear Mr. Wallace,--You will not be surprised that I have been slow in answering when I tell you that my poor boy[36] became frightfully worse after you were at Down; and that during our journey to Bournemouth he had a slight relapse here and my wife took the scarlet fever rather severely. She is over the crisis. I have had a horrid time of it, and God only knows when we shall be all safe at home again--half my family are at Bournemouth. I have given a piece of the comb from Timor to a Mr. Woodbury (who is working at the subject), and he is _extremely_ interested by it (I was sure the specimen would be valuable) and has requested me to ascertain whether the bee (_A. testacea_) is domesticated when it makes its combs. Will you kindly inform me? Your remarks on ostriches have interested me, and I have alluded to the case in the Third Edition. The difficulty does not seem to me so great as to you. Think of bustards, which inhabit wide open plains, and which so seldom take flight: a very little increase in size of body would make them incapable of flight. The idea of ostriches acquiring flight is worthy of Westwood; think of the food required in these inhabitants of the desert to work the pectoral muscles! In the rhea the wings seem of considerable service in the first start and in turning.[37] ... * * * * * _5 Westbourne Grove Terrace, W. September 30, 1862._ My dear Mr. Darwin,--Many thanks for the third edition of the "Origin," which I found here on my return from Devonshire on Saturday. I have not had time yet to read more than the Historical Sketch, which is very interesting, and shows that the time had quite come for your book. I am now reading Herbert Spencer's "First Principles," which seems to me a truly great work, which goes to the root of everything. I hope you will be well enough to come to Cambridge. I remain, my dear Mr. Darwin, yours very faithfully, ALFRED R. WALLACE. * * * * * _5 Westbourne Grove Terrace, W. January 14 [1863?]._ My dear Mr. Darwin,--I am very sorry indeed to hear you are still in weak health. Have you ever tried mountain air? A residence at 2,000 or 3,000 ft. elevation is very invigorating. I trust your family are now all in good health, and that you may be spared any anxiety on that score for some time. If you come to town I shall hope to have the pleasure of seeing you. I am now in much better health, but find sudden changes of weather affect me very much, bringing on ague and fever fits. I am now working a little, but having fresh collections still arriving from correspondents in the East, it is principally the drudgery of cleaning, packing, and arrangement. On the opposite page I give all the information I can about the Timor fossils, so that you can send it entire to Dr. Falconer. With best wishes for the speedy recovery of your health, I remain, my dear Mr. Darwin, yours very faithfully, ALFRED R. WALLACE.