Alfred Russel Wallace, Wallace was born 8 January 1823, and died 7 November 1913. From 1844 he taught for a time in Leicester, and there he met Henry Walter Bates, who roused his enthusiasm for the study of insects. After a brief return to surveying, he agreed with Bates to go to the Amazon, and in April 1848 they set sail, intending to support themselves by acquiring collections for sale. Edited by David Knight.