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Darwin Correspondence Project

To Albany Hancock   24 August [1854]

Down Farnborough Kent

Aug. 24th.

My dear Sir

You may remember that you gave me permission most generously to dissect all your specimens of Alcippe lampas, which I obtained by dissolving the shell: but I have one or two in spirits not cut up. Shall I return them? or can you spare them for Brit: Mus:? I may mention that Mr. Bate has found Alcippe off Plymouth.1 I have some other specimens of yours not of much value, except one from Madeira.2 There is one, however, from Davis St.3 which I know is to be returned. I cd. return the whole lot by Post, without I have to return the Bottles.— In this latter case is there anywhere in London, where parcels collect for you?—

Allow me to thank you cordially & truly for the very great pleasure I derived from examining Alcippe lampas, which is described in full in my volume, now printed, & I presume soon to be published by the Ray Socy.—4 I have also discussed the excavating powers of Verruca, which subject I owe entirely to you.5 As there are several specs of the oxynaspis from Madeira, I have ventured to take 2 or 3 to give to Museums.

With my sincere thanks & with much respect, I remain | My dear Sir | Yours sincerely | Charles Darwin.

Footnotes

Oxynaspis celata (see Living Cirripedia (1851): 134–6).
Davis Strait, between Greenland and Canada, connects Baffin Bay with the Atlantic Ocean. The specimen from Hancock’s collection was Balanus porcatus (Living Cirripedia (1854): 256–9).
Living Cirripedia (1854): 512–18. CD prefaced this section by stating: ‘My attention was called to this subject by Mr. Hancock, whose excellent researches on the boring of Mollusca are well known.’ (p. 512).

Bibliography

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.

Summary

Can AH spare Alcippe specimens for British Museum?

C. S. Bate has found Alcippe off Plymouth.

Discusses returning specimens to AH.

Owes to AH the discussion of powers of excavation of Verruca in Living Cirripedia [vol. 2 (1854)].

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-1580
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
Albany Hancock
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. 1580,” accessed on 19 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-1580.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 5

letter