To Samuel Birch 6 April [1861]
Down Bromley Kent
April 6th
My dear Sir
You formerly gave me some valuable extracts about Poultry from Chinese Encyclops.—1 I shd. be so much obliged if you could answer me 4 questions on enclosed paper. You might affix “yes” or “no” & “date” & return the paper, without troubling yourself to write. I enclose your old memorandums, as they will recall the Books in question.
Pray forgive me being so troublesome & believe me | My dear Sir | Yours sincerely obliged | Ch. Darwin
I enclose directed envelope so as to give as little trouble as possible.
[Enclosure]
What is probable age of the Japanese Encyclop? (marked with single red line)2
Am I right in believing that the Santsae or Chinese “Encyclop. of Three Principles”, was compiled from other ancient works? I think you told me so.— Is this the case also with the Puntsaon?3
You give in note (marked with 2 red lines) an extract about Fowls with black feathers & bones. Is anything said about the feathers being hairy. I wish much to know, as I have extraordinary case of reversion in this breed.—4
Pickering in his Races of Man p. 374 speaks of a Head & neck of Fowl in a tribute-procession to Thouthmosis III. Can you tell me date of this King?5
Footnotes
Bibliography
Cambridge history of China: The Cambridge history of China Vol. 7: The Ming dynasty, 1368–1644 Pt 1. Edited by Frederick W. Mote and Denis Twitchett. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1988.
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Pickering, Charles. 1850. The races of man; and their geographical distribution. New edition. To which is prefixed, an analytical synopsis of the natural history of man, by John Charles Hall. London. [Vols. 6,9]
Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.
Summary
Requests information about Japanese and Chinese encyclopedias,
about the rarity of fowls with black feathers,
and about date of the king Thouthmosis III.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3113A
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Samuel Birch
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- British Museum (Department of the Middle East, Correspondence 1826–67: 1493
- Physical description
- ALS 1p encl 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3113A,” accessed on 23 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3113A.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 9