To James Egan1 8 November [1858]
Down Bromley Kent
Nov. 8th.—
Sir
I have just seen an article by you in the Gardeners Chronicle, & I observe that you are a member of an Agricultural Socy. 2 I am very anxious for information on one point in Natural History, & it has occurred to me that you might perhaps be willing to oblige a stranger, who is an old correspondent of the Chronicle, & a friend of the Editor, Dr. Lindley.3 But you may not have time or inclination, & if I receive no answer to this, I am sure that I shall have not the least reason to complain, but rather to apologise for the liberty which I take in addressing you.—
My question refers to the colours of Horses, for I am trying to investigate the laws of inheritance of colours.— I have seen it stated in print that the Horses of Hungary, frequently have a dark stripe down the spine & sometimes a stripe on shoulders (sometimes double) like that on the ass, & sometimes cross stripes on the legs. I am anxious to know whether this really is the case, & whether such stripes occur frequently either on the shoulders, or on the front or hind legs or on both.
I shd. wish to know, by comparison with some object, the colour of any horse with such stripes. But what I most want to know, & which I have in vain endeavoured to find out, is whether such stripes are plainer in the foal or in the full-grown horse. In England such stripes are observed only on dun-coloured horses (By dun I mean dark cream-colour mixed with some brown), but I have not been able to find out what the colours of the parents were; whether the crossing of any other two colours will produce a dun.—4
As Hungary is a great horse-breeding country, perhaps you could find out something on these heads, from persons on whom you could rely; & if you are willing to oblige me by taking so much trouble, it will be a very great favour & kindness,
& I beg leave to remain, Sir, | Your obliged servant | Ch. Darwin
CD note:5
—Questions about Asses & Horses Stripes.—
Mr James Egasy Hotel Queen of England Pesth
Asses— Are the legs ever transversely striped in any slight *or considerable [interl] degree like those of the [interl] zebra? Are the front or hind legs most striped? Is the shoulder-stripe ever double? Does the shoulder (& spinal stripe) ever wholly disappear.? Are the asses ever marbled or mottled *with any colours [interl] like a grey-horse? If any such cases occur, please state whether frequently—& especially describe general colour of animal, & whether large or small. Mules. Same queries. Horses. Are the legs, front or hind, or both, ever transversely striped? Does a shoulder stripe, though probably faint, ever occur.? Such [after del ‘It’] stripes would probably be observed only in Duns (ie dark cream-colour mixed with brown) or Mouse-duns, or [over ‘in’ and after del ‘or’] cream-coloured or [over ‘&"] perhaps in chesnuts. If such shd occur, please give particulars, of size & colour of horse or pony. *Any horse with leg or shoulder stripe would probably have the spinal stripe [added] It would be particularly interesting for me to hear, though probably impossible to be ascertained, whether any coloured horse, having any such stripes., was a breed always or generally so characterised, or an accidental individual.— It is possible that foals might have such marks & not the mature animals.—
Footnotes
Summary
Asks about dark stripes on shoulders and legs of Hungarian horses. Are stripes plainer in foal or adult?
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-2354
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- James Egan
- Sent from
- Down
- Postmark
- NO 9 58
- Source of text
- American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.160)
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp & ADraft 1p
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2354,” accessed on 24 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2354.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 7