To A. D. Bartlett 24 August [1860]1
Down Bromley Kent
Augt. 24th
Dear Sir
I have directed a copy of my “Origin of Species” to be sent to your address to the Socy. Rooms in Hanover Sqre, & I hope that you will do me the favour to accept it.—2 If you will read the Ch. on Hybridism at p. 264 you will see why I am curious about the embryos in eggs from first crosses.—3 I was very glad to see a Donkey with a wild ass in the Gardens for I infer from this that you intend rearing a Hybrid; if so I hope that you will look carefully for stripes on shoulder & legs in the foal; you will see why I am so curious on this head, if you will read the little discussion in the Origin from p. 163–167.—4
I will let you hear about the Moscow Rabbits, after I have heard from the young Lady who bought them, whether she consents to their being sent to the Gardens.—5
I was much interested by the facts you kindly communicated to me6 & remain Dear Sir | Yours very faithfully | Charles Darwin
If you should hear from Hunt anything about the Records of the gestation of the Canidæ—or about the parents of Hybrid Jackal, perhaps you will be so kind as to inform me.—7
Footnotes
Bibliography
Bartlett, Abraham Dee. 1857. Description of a rabbit said to be found on the Himalayan mountains. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 25: 159–60.
Freeman, Richard Broke. 1977. The works of Charles Darwin: an annotated bibliographical handlist. 2d edition. Folkestone, Kent: William Dawson & Sons. Hamden, Conn.: Archon Books, Shoe String Press.
Scherren, Henry. 1905. The Zoological Society of London: a sketch of its foundation and development and the story of its farm, museum, gardens, menagerie and library. London: Cassell.
Summary
Sends copy of Origin.
Discusses stripes on hybrid of donkey and wild ass.
Will let ADB know if lady consents to sending rabbits to [Zoological] Gardens.
Asks about gestation of Canidae.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-4273
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Abraham Dee Bartlett
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Archives of the New York Botanical Garden (Charles Finney Cox Collection)
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4273,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-4273.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 13 (Supplement)