To B. J. Sulivan 13 March [1871]1
Down. | Beckenham | Kent. S.E.
March 13th
My dear Sulivan
I write a line to thank you for your extremely interesting letter. I had heard vague stories to the same effect about parrots & language; but never before anything definite. I now quite believe the fact, & a very wonderful it is.2 It is, however, only carrying a good deal further the varied barks of a dog.
Again I thank you for all the trouble which you have taken & for your very interesting letter.—
We heard from my daughter today. She was very sorry to have missed you.— She is a good deal of an invalid, & being never strong cannot get over her attack of the measles.—3
I have many letters to write so no more.— My last book half killed me with fatigue.—4
Yours ever very truly | Ch. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.
Summary
Thanks BJS for his interesting letter about parrots and language.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-7579
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Bartholomew James Sulivan
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Sulivan family (private collection)
- Physical description
- ALS 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 7579,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-7579.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 19
