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Darwin Correspondence Project

To J. E. Gray   28 [June 1848]

Down Farnborough Kent

28th

Dear Gray

I will send Ranzani1 by the Carrier on Thursday (tomorrow) morning, & am very much obliged for it, though I cannot say that I have profited much by it. Do not think that I am going again to ask you a favour such as follows, for I know it must be troublesome; it is to let me have the Conchotrya & Brisnæus2 (or Brisneus?) sent me by the Carrier. The reason I want it now is that I have just been working with care at the Lithotrya & it would save me considerable trouble to finish at once with these allied or identical genera.

If you can oblige me so far, will you have them at your private Residence on Thursday morning for the Carrier.— If I dared I would ask also for Octomeris (so as to do it when I do Catophragmus),3 especially if you have one adhering to its support, so that I could get out the dry animal.— Believe me, I will not again ask thus for single genera, which I know gives you the trouble of getting down the drawers.

In truth never will a mountain in labour have brought forth such a mouse as my book on the Cirripedia: it is ridiculous the time each species takes me.

Yours most sincerely | C. Darwin

Footnotes

Conchotrya and Brisnæus are listed as synonyms for Lythotrya (Living Cirripedia (1851): 332). The names are attributed to J. E. Gray 1825.
Both genera of Balanidae are described in Living Cirripedia (1854): 483–91. The synonym Octomeris stutchburii is attributed to J. E. Gray 1825.

Bibliography

Fossil Cirripedia (1854): A monograph of the fossil Balanidæ and Verrucidæ of Great Britain. By Charles Darwin. London: Palaeontographical Society. 1854.

Gray, John Edward. 1825. A synopsis of the genera of cirripedes arranged in natural families, with a description of some new species. Annals of Philosophy n.s. 10: 97–107.

Living Cirripedia (1851): A monograph of the sub-class Cirripedia, with figures of all the species. The Lepadidæ; or, pedunculated cirripedes. By Charles Darwin. London: Ray Society. 1851.

Living Cirripedia (1854): A monograph of the sub-class Cirripedia, with figures of all the species. The Balanidæ (or sessile cirripedes); the Verrucidæ, etc. By Charles Darwin. London: Ray Society. 1854.

Ranzani, Camillo. 1820. Osservazioni su i Balanidi. In Memorie di storia naturale. Bologna.

Summary

Mentions returning borrowed book by Camillo Ranzani.

Discusses loan of cirripede specimens from British Museum. "In truth never will a mountain in labour have brought forth such a mouse as my book on the Cirripedia. It is ridiculous the time each species takes me."

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-1187
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
John Edward Gray
Sent from
Down
Source of text
American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.74)
Physical description
ALS 4pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 1187,” accessed on 20 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-1187.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 4

letter