To John Joseph Briggs 2 February [1863]1
Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.
Feb. 2d
Dear Sir
I hope that you will forgive the liberty which I take in addressing you.— Mr F. Buckland tells me that he thinks that you would give me one piece of information.2 I remember seeing in The Field an excellent article, written I believe by you, on the regrowth of the fin’s of fishes when cut off.— Could you inform me of the year & page in The Field in which the article appeared.3 Unfortunately I have not kept the copies, & if it be not asking too great a favour, I should be very much obliged if you would inform me (1) what kinds of fish were tried (2) what fins whether pectoral, dorsal &c. were cut (3) whether whole or half or quarter of fin was cut off (4) whether the bony rays were again formed, & whether the fin ultimately appeared perfect. I wish to quote the fact on your authority in a work which I am preparing for publication, & should be grateful for any information.
Hoping that you will forgive the liberty, which I have taken, I beg leave to remain, Dear Sir | Yours faithfully & obliged | Charles Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.
Summary
Asks JJB for date of his article in the Field dealing with the regeneration of fishes’ fins; additional questions about the fish.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3963
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- John Joseph Briggs
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.286)
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3963,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3963.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 11