To P. L. Sclater 23 March [1861]
Down Bromley Kent
March 23d
Dear Sclater
It is a shame to trouble so busy a man as you; but I shd. be very much obliged for a bit of information, which you can give me better than anyone.
Would it be too strong to say? that, from the known distribution of the Gallinaceæ it would be almost as improbable that a species of the genus Gallus should be endemic in S. America, as that a Humming Bird shd. be found in the Old World.— With respect to Africa, may I not say that no species is known there; and that it is not very probable that any species should have wandered so far from the Metropolis of the genus in India & the Northern Malay Isld.—1
Lastly can you tell me where in Proc. Zoolog. Soc. Gallus Temminckii of G R. Gray is described; for I cannot conceive what species is meant.2
Pray forgive & aid me.— If you were to say “yes” (supposing that I am right) it would suffice.—
Yours very sincerely | C. Darwin
Many thanks for your note received other day.— I had not heard of your paper at Oxford.—3
Footnotes
Bibliography
Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.
Summary
Asks about distribution of Gallus and about description of Gallus temminckii, G. R. Gray.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3096
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Philip Lutley Sclater
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.241)
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3096,” accessed on 1 September 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3096.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 9