From Albert Müller 20 May 1868
2, Camden Villas, | Penge. S.E.
May 20. 1868.
Dear Sir!
You have no doubt learned, that my friend Mr. W. Armistead of Leeds died in Feby. last & of course this deplorable event has cut short all hopes, to see a work on Galls out at present.—1
Having long been a modest helpmate of Mr. Armistead in his endeavours, I know by his letters, that you were so kind as to send him a contribution of Indian Galls, & as I have made up my mind to pursue this study & am promised Mr. Armistead’s papers, (tho’ his collection is not accessible to me), I shall be thankful, if you would kindly remember this, when the opportunity occurs & extend to me that support you so readily granted to my late lamented friend.—2
Whether the following fact is novel to you or not, I repeat it, to make sure of either case.—
A relation of mine, a Captain formerly in the P. & O. Co.,3 tells me, that in China only unicoloured animals, such as dogs, cats, rats etc. are brought to market, as the natives have a great objection to use partycoloured animals for food & in fact destroy them in the litter.—
Would not this tend to render a breed all of one colour?
I am, | Dear Sir, | your’s sincerely | Albert Müller
Charles Darwin Esqre.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Royal Society catalogue of scientific papers: Catalogue of scientific papers (1800–1900). Compiled and published by the Royal Society of London. 19 vols. and index (3 vols.). London: Royal Society of London. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1867–1925.
Summary
Wilson Armistead’s death cut short his work on galls, but Müller is continuing it.
In China only uni-coloured animals are sold for meat, the rest are killed in the litter.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-6191
- From
- Albert Müller
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Penge
- Source of text
- DAR 171: 282
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6191,” accessed on 25 September 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6191.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 16