To Henri Milne-Edwards 1 September [1848]
Down Farnborough Kent
Sept. 1st.
Dear Sir
Your kind manner to me at Oxford1 induces me to think that you will perhaps excuse the liberty of addressing you, & asking your aid if it be in your power to grant it.— I have been employed for nearly two years on an Anatomical & Systematic Monograph on the Cirripedia. I have excellent materials in several great private collections (Mr Cumings &c) & in that of the British Museum placed at my disposal. I intend describing the animal of every species, which by soaking I can do with dryed specimens & I thus hope to put the classification & determination of the species on a somewhat solid basis. At present, as the shells have alone been described & that very imperfectly, I find it impossible to recognise any species, not even the British with any certainty.
Can you aid me in obtaining the loan for me of any specimens?2 Would it be possible for me to have for examination a single specimen of some of the species figured in the Voyage of the Astrolabe3 I am most anxious for the genus Alepas, as it is the only genus, which I have not dissected carefully.
The following species would be of the greatest use to me, but I fear I am asking what is impossible, & you may think me presumptuous in doing so.— If you cannot aid me, pray do not trouble yourself to answer this letter.
Alepas fasciculatus of Lesson4 —– parasita of Quoy & Gaimard —– tubulosa (do) (a distinct genus? of which I have a species from
W. Indies5 Anatifa elongata Q. & G. (especially) —–- pelagica do —–- sessilis do —–- tricolor do —–- spinosa do (especially) (Pollcipes) —–- truncata (a Lithotrya) (especially) —–- sulcata
I have found a good deal new in the Anatomy, & I hope & think that you will approve of my work. Permit me to say how invaluably useful I have found your work on the Crustacea.—6
Some months since I wrote to you about a crustacean parasite on the Balanus,7 but I presume you did not care about it.—
I hope that you will forgive my writing this letter to you, & I beg to remain dear Sir, with much & sincere respect | Yours faithfully | C. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
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.
Milne-Edwards, Henri. 1834–40. Histoire naturelle des crustacés, comprenant l’anatomie, la physiologie et la classification de ces animaux. 4 vols. Paris: Librairie encyclopédique de Roret.
Owen, Richard Startin. 1894. The life of Richard Owen … With the scientific portions revised by C. Davies Sherborn; also an essay on Owen’s position in anatomical science by the Right Hon. T. H. Huxley, F.R.S. 2 vols. London: John Murray.
Summary
Describes his cirripede work. Asks whether HM-E can arrange for him to borrowspecimens, especially of species described in Dumont d’Urville, Voyage of"Astrolabe" [1830–2]. Lists species that interesthim.
Compliments HM-E on his Crustacés [1834–40].
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-1199
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Henri Milne-Edwards
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.76)
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 1199,” accessed on 20 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-1199.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 4
