To T. H. Huxley [8 February 1863]1
6. Queen Anne St
Sunday night
My dear Huxley
Reflecting over the plate of the Ray fins, I suspect that I have been blundering; & that in six-fingered men the increase is generally confined to metacarpals & digits. If so Fish would do??2 But I have written to Paget to look at Vrolik’s Dutch book on double monsters & on six-fingered cases & tell me how this is.—3 I cannot remember whether I assumed or knew that carpals are ever or generally increased in number.—
I did so enjoy my visit to you this morning, & it was not by any means solely those sweet pats of soft butter.—4
Ever yours | C. Darwin
When I hear from Paget I will tell you.—
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
NNBW: Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch Woordenboek. Edited by P. C. Molhuysen et al. 10 vols. Leiden: A. W. Sijthoff’s Uitgevers-Maatschappij. 1911–37.
Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.
Vrolik, Willem. 1840–2. Handboek der ziektekundige ontleedkunde. [De menschelijke vrucht beschouwd in hare regelmatige en onregelmatige ontwikkeling.] 2 vols. Amsterdam: Johannes Müller.
Summary
On six-fingered men: suspects increase confined to metacarpals and digits. Has asked James Paget to look it up.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3973
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Thomas Henry Huxley
- Sent from
- London, Queen Anne St, 6
- Source of text
- Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine Archives (Huxley 5: 19)
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3973,” accessed on 28 September 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3973.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 11