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Summary
Variation in cats.
Is comparing skeletons of poultry.
Transcription
Down Bromley Kent
Dec. 6th.
My dear Sir
Thank you much for taking the trouble of sending me the canines, & which I hope will arrive safely, & for answering so fully my queries. I was interested by stumbling on 4 variations in the Cat, within the course of six weeks, viz long tails in W. Indies,—curiously backward sloping tails,—tufted ears, & your case.—f1
When I asked for the Ghoondok bird,f2 I stupidly quite forgot that you would of course want it for your own work.— Pray do not think of troubling yourself to send me a M.S. account, for it will do exactly as well, or better, whenever you print.—f3 At some future time, when I have got several skeletons together I daresay you would lend me the skeleton for a few days to compare with such others as I may have got together. Would you like to examine the head of my wild Jungle Fowl from India?f4 But it would require a little cleaning.— I could send it in Box by Post, & you could return it same way, or leave it at my Brothers House at any time near Cavendish Square.— But I do not know whether it would aid you or not.— You could if you liked see whole skeleton, but this is too large for Post.—
With many thanks | Your’s very truly | C. Darwin
I sometimes send little notices to Gardeners’ Chronicle, but I have never communicated anything but trifles.—
Footnotes
- f1
- See letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, [2 December 1855], n. 2.
- f2
- See letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, [2 December 1855], n. 5.
- f3
- Tegetmeier 1856.
- f4
- Sent by Edward Blyth from India (letter from Edward Blyth, 22–3 August 1855). This was the wild Gallus bankiva, described in Variation 1: 233–6 as the possible ancestor of the domestic breeds of fowl.