To Henry Denny [27 July – 10 August 1844]1
Down Bromley Kent
Saturday.
Dear Sir
I herewith send you the four little packets of Lice.—2 I remember thinking that one, though minute, was an odd form.—
I sincerely wish I could aid you in obtaining fresh materials: should I have any opportunity, I will not fail to remember to ask anyone, whom I may meet & think likely to have specimens: but I live so retired in the country, that I now see few naturalists. Have you ever applied to Dr. A. Smith, (Fort Pitt Chatham) the S. African Traveller, if you like to write to him, you can use my name & say, I was sure that he would be glad to assist every naturalist.3
I am sorry to say I shall not be at York,4 otherwise you might depend on my aid, feeble though it would be.
With my best wishes for success in your laborious pursuit.5 Pray believe me | dear Sir | yours very faithfully | C. Darwin
P.S I have kept no copy of the extract of ‘White’s Regular Gradation in Man’—a foolish book with some odd facts—published, I think, at Manchester. You wd easily find the passage to which I refer.— I think it was in the latter part of the volume.—6
The next time I write to Dr Hooker I will ask him, whether he has Lice of Penguins.—7
I find I can make the bottle safe, so will send it by Post at same time with this note.— The bottle shd be opened, as it is not quite full— the spirits are quite strong enough
C. D
Footnotes
Bibliography
Denny, Henry. 1842. Monographia Anoplurorum Britanniæ; or an essay on the British species of parasitic insects belonging to the order of Anoplura of Leach. London: Henry G. Bohn
White, Charles. 1799. An account of the regular gradation in man, and in different animals and vegetables; and from the former to the latter. London: C. Dilly.
Summary
Sends four packets of lice and suggests writing to Dr A. Smith, "the S. African traveller", for assistance.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-763F
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Henry Denny
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Yale University Medical Historical Library, Harvey Cushing / John Hay Whitney Medical Library (MMS)
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 763F,” accessed on 19 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-763F.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 13 (Supplement)