To W. H. Flower 24 September [1876]1
Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.
Sept. 24th
Dear Flower
I have received the enclosed photo’s from Mr Van der Weyde who is working with some associates at M. Video in collecting fossil bones.2 I want to encourage him in so good a work.— Will you therefore give me your opinion on the one marked with a cross, about which they are curious.— They seem to have to got a grand head of Toxodon.3 I intend urging them to search the Tertiary beds beneath the Pampean Formation.4 I do not want the Photographs returned, so you can keep them or throw them away.
Believe me | Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Fossil Mammalia: Pt 1 of The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle … during the years 1831 to 1836. By Richard Owen. Edited and superintended by Charles Darwin. London: Smith, Elder and Co. 1839–43.
Geological observations 2d ed.: Geological observations on the volcanic islands and parts of South America visited during the voyage of H.M.S. ‘Beagle’. By Charles Darwin. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1876.
Journal of researches 2d ed.: Journal of researches into the natural history and geology of the countries visited during the voyage of HMS Beagle round the world, under the command of Capt. FitzRoy RN. 2d edition, corrected, with additions. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1845.
Owen, Richard. 1837. A description of the cranium of the Toxodon platensis, a gigantic extinct mammiferous species, referrible by its dentition to the Rodentia, but with affinities to the Pachydermata and the herbivorous Cetacea. [Read 19 April 1837.] Proceedings of the Geological Society of London 2 (1833–8): 541–2.
Raymond, Rossiter W. 1889. Evolution of animal life. In Evolution: popular lectures and discussions before the Brooklyn Ethical Association. Boston: James H. West.
South America: Geological observations on South America. Being the third part of the geology of the voyage of the Beagle, under the command of Capt. FitzRoy RN, during the years 1832 to 1836. By Charles Darwin. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1846.
Volcanic islands: Geological observations on the volcanic islands, visited during the voyage of HMS Beagle, together with some brief notices on the geology of Australia and the Cape of Good Hope. Being the second part of the geology of the voyage of the Beagle, under the command of Capt. FitzRoy RN, during the years 1832 to 1836. By Charles Darwin. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1844.
Summary
Sends photographs received from Mr Van der Weyde who is working with associates in Montevideo collecting fossil bones. Asks WHF’s opinion of a specimen about which they are curious.
CD intends urging them to search the Tertiary bed beneath the Pampean formation.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-10615
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- William Henry Flower
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Bonhams (dealers) (15 July 2004)
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 10615,” accessed on 24 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-10615.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 24