From J. E. Gray 1 February 1862
B M
1 Feb 1862
My Dear Darwin
Thanks for your note1 we agree in the estimate of the Man.2 I wish you would use your influence with your pupil Lubbock to get him to use his endeavours to prevent the Council (or certain members of it) of the Zoological Society inflicting a great injury on Science and Scientific men by proposing much less procuring a man whose conduct has been so eratic as the head of the Society & making the world beleive that we scientific men consider such conduct as of no importance3
I know that the old non Scientific Fellows who have been on & off the Council ever since the formation of the society have lost all confidence in him & dislike the idea of his being ever proposed as they say did he not misuse his influence when he came down & proposed a gratuity of £500 to Mitchell who shortly after proved a defaulter4 and enquire did you ever see him attend regularly & pay any permanent attention to the wellbeing of the Society?
Ever Yours Sincerely | J. E Gray
CD annotations
Footnotes
Bibliography
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
Agrees with CD’s estimate of the man [unidentified]. Hopes CD will use his influence with Lubbock to try to prevent the Council’s placing him at the head of the Zoological Society.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3433
- From
- John Edward Gray
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- British Museum
- Source of text
- DAR 165: 206
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3433,” accessed on 20 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3433.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 10