Darwin, C. R. to Gray, J. E.
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Requests information on ranges of echinoderms for his essay on variation [Natural selection]. Are there genera with representative species in northern and southern seas, but none in tropics?
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Transcription
Down Bromley Kent
July 1
My dear Gray
You once told me that you would help me in my Essay on variation. I want much some information on a point of Geographical Distrib., & to be allowed, to give information on your authority. It is, whether there are genera of Echinoderms, starfish &c, which have species (especially if closely related) in the Northern & Southern seas, but have not any one species in the Tropical seas? Or whether there are any closely related & representative genera in the north & south, without any closely related genus within the Tropics?
I am quite ignorant about the range of Echinoderms & perhaps all the genera have very confined ranges. Could I find information on this head in any publication?
Pray forgive, if you can, the trouble, & believe me, Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin
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- f1 1915.f1
The year is suggested by CD's interest in the distribution of marine animals (see letter to T. H. Huxley, 1 July [1856].). - +
- f2 1915.f2
Gray is not listed among the authorities cited in the section of Natural selection devoted to the distribution of marine animals in the polar and tropical seas (pp. 555–7).