To A. D. Bartlett 15 September 1871
Down, | Beckenham, Kent.
Sep 15. 1871
My dear Sir
As on many former occasions, I am going to beg earnestly for a little information.1 Judging from the structure of the beak & published accounts I imagine that the common goose does not sift the water out of the sides of its beak, like a duck. Is this so? Does any species of goose sift the water in a partial manner, as well as use its beak in tearing or biting herbage? I am trying to trace gradation in structure & habits, & this wd be a very useful piece of information.2
The common goose has lamellæ on the borders of the beak, partly confluent, & which seem to serve as teeth. Now has any goose quite a smooth beak? or has any goose (& this wd be more useful to me) less developed lamellæ, knobs or teeth, than has the common goose? If yr son has a specimen, not very expensive, of any such goose i.e. with beak nearly smooth (if such exists) I shd be much obliged if he wd send it to me in a paper parcel addressed C. Darwin Esq. Orpington Station.3 S.E.R.
As you are so busy, perhaps yr son wd be so kind as to answer for you any of the above questions on which you can give me information. The beak of the Shoveller Duck which I procured from your son is one of the most beautiful structures which I ever saw.4
My dear Sir | yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin
P.S. I enclose an addressed evelope to save you as much trouble as possible.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Origin 6th ed.: The origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. 6th edition, with additions and corrections. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1872.
Summary
CD questions ADB on the mode of feeding of geese and on the existence of variations in the structure of the bill; is trying to trace gradations in structure and habits.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-7944
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Abraham Dee Bartlett
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Houghton Library, Harvard University (Autograph File, D)
- Physical description
- LS(A) 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 7944,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-7944.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 19