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Darwin Correspondence Project

From Spiridion Brusina1   29 April 1869

Agram2

29 Aprile 1869.

Esimio Signore!

Ajutato da alcuni colleghi sto fondando una sociètà di storia naturale. La stessa avrà per iscopo lo studio della Fauna, Flora e Gea del triregno di Dalmazia, Croazia e Slavonia, e degli altri paesi slavo—meridionali Carniola, Serbia, Bosnia, Erzegnovina, Montenero ecc.; indi tendera a digulgare fra noi le cognizioni di quelle scienze naturali la cui importanza di tanto fu elevata dalle classiche opere da Lei pubblicate.

I diplomi da distribuir si fra i membri desideriamo fregiarli di quattro ritratti dei più distinti naturalisti, ed essendo chè fu stabilito che il Suo debba essere fra i quattro, nè ci viesci d’averlo, mi faccio a pregarla d’aver la bontà di volermi mandare una Sua fotografia per poterlo ritrarre.

Domandando Le mille volte perdono d’un tanto disturbo ed anticipatamente ringraziando La ho l’onore di dirmi

l’obbsme dev. serv. | Spiridion Brusina

Custode al Museo Nazionale di stor. naturale

CD annotations

Top of letter: ‘Austria | via Belgium | 6d for 12 oz | 1s for 1 oz’ pencil

Footnotes

For a translation of this letter, see Correspondence vol. 17, Appendix I.
Agram is the German name for Zagreb (Croatia).

Bibliography

Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.

Translation

From Spiridion Brusina1   29 April 1869

Agram2

29 April 1869.

Dear Sir!

With the help of some colleagues, I have founded a society of natural history. This will have for its object the study of the fauna, flora, and terra of the triple kingdom of Dalmatia, Croatia and Slavonia, and of other Slavic countries—southern Carniola, Serbia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro etc.; then it aims to spread among us the knowledge of those natural sciences whose importance has been so much increased by the classic works that you have published.

I would like the diplomas that are to be distributed among the members to be adorned with four pictures of the most distinguished naturalists and as it was decided that you ought to be among the four, unless it is forbidden to have it, I am asking you to have the goodness to send me a photograph of you to be reproduced.

Requesting a thousand pardons for such an intrusion and offering in advance many thanks, I have the honour to pronounce myself your most obedient and devoted servant | Spiridion Brusina

Custodian of the National Museum of Natural History

Footnotes

For a transcription of this letter in its original Italian, see p. 196.
Agram is the German name for Zagreb (Croatia).

Bibliography

Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.

Summary

SB is founding a natural history society to study the flora and fauna of the southern Slavic countries.

Plans to print portraits of the four most distinguished naturalists and asks for a photograph of CD.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-6720
From
Spiridion Brusina
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Agram (Zagreb)
Source of text
DAR 160: 354
Physical description
ALS 3pp (Italian) †

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6720,” accessed on 20 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6720.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 17

letter