Letter 3061A
Darwin, C. R. to Kippist, Richard
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Gives notice of returning books by a carrier and thanks for assistance.
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Asks whether Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville's Ostéographie (1839–64) includes rabbits or hares.
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Transcription
Down, Kent
Feb. 13th
… ``I will send tonight by our Carrier all the Books in Hand in an old Portmanteau (which please return) so … they will come safely.
With sincere thanks for your vy. kind assistance. | C. Darwin''
``I suppose De Blainville's Osteographie does not include Rabbits or Hares, as I much wish to see such if it were ever published.''
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- f1 3061a.f1
Kippist was librarian of the Linnean Society of London, from which CD often borrowed works that he needed to consult for his research. - +
- f2 3061a.f2
The year is suggested by the 1859 watermark of the stationery and by CD's reference to the carrier's leaving `tonight'. George Snow ran a carrier service between Down and London that left Down at 2A.M. every Thursday morning (Post Office directory of the six home counties 1862). In 1861, 13 February fell on a Wednesday. This date is further confirmed by the reference to `Rabbits and Hares'. In 1861, CD was preparing the chapter on variation in rabbits for Variation (see `Journal'; Appendix II). - +
- f3 3061a.f3
George Snow. See n. 2, above. - +
- f4 3061a.f4
See letter to Richard Kippist, 7 January [1861]. It is not known which books from the Linnean Society CD was returning. - +
- f5 3061a.f5
Blainville 1839--64.