To Virginius Dabney 3 November 1873
Down, | Beckenham, Kent.
Nov 3. 1873
Dear Sir
I am much obliged for yr very kind & interesting letter.1 A good many cases have been recorded of caterpillars selecting with unerring skill introduced plants belonging to the same natural family with that on which they properly feed; but I am glad to hear of your new & striking case.
The fact of hogs not feeding on certain plants thro’ the same principle, because others belonging to the same family are poisonous, strikes me as much more curious, & is I believe quite new—2
With my best thanks I remain dear Sir | yours faithfully | Charles Darwin
Footnotes
Summary
Thanks VD for information on caterpillars selecting food plants from within one family,
and on similar behaviour in hogs, which will not eat any plants from a family containing some poisonous members.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-9128
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Virginius Dabney
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- University of Virginia Library, Special Collections (3314 1: 56 MSS 3082-a)
- Physical description
- LS 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 9128,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-9128.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 21
