Darwin, C. R. to Gray, G. R.
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Asks for some Anthus skins to examine [for Birds]. Fears they may turn out to be all one species. Sends details from his notes on Falkland Island specimens.
Summary Add
Transcription
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My dear Sir
Will you be so good as to give my servant the skins of the Merulidæ Anthus; as I want to look at some of them.— and likewise the stuffed specimen of Upucerthia, as I forgot yesterday to measure its beak.— I will not forget to try to negotiate the specimen for you from the Soc. Zog.—
From what I see of the localities of the Anthus'es I almost suspect they will all turn out one Species.— I will look over the specimens with my notes & see whether I can get any aid from habits.—
With respect to the Falkland Emberiza, I can give little
assistance
In another part of my catalogue I say I saw 1046. & 1047. together
My specimens were shot in March, corresponding to September, & this is all the very little inform: I can tell you—
Believe me | Most truly Yours | Chas. Darwin
12 Upper Gower St
Tuesday—
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- f1 508.f1
Described in Birds, p. 85. - +
- f2 508.f2
Uppucerthia dumetoria, is described in Birds, p. 66. - +
- f3 508.f3
Three species of Anthus, all previously known, are described (Birds, p. 85). Two others were considered identical to Muscisaxicola nigra, a new species to which Gray gave his name (ibid., p. 84). - +
- f4 508.f4
Birds, pp. 95–6. Gray identified two new species as Chlorospiza? melanodera, G. R. Gray and Chlorospiza? xanthogramma, G. R. Gray. - +
- f5 508.f5
The extracts were taken from CD's ornithological notes (DAR 29.2: 33; Ornithological notes, p. 233). - +
- f6 508.f6
CD's entry in DAR 29.2: 4–5 reads:1046 Emberiza. March. 1833. East Falkland I. 1047. d[itt]o. Perhaps the Male of the last bird, but they were not shot together: I saw them however subsequently together. They are by far the commonest land bird in the Islands.— Ornithological notes, p. 213, omits ‘I saw … together.’