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From Ludwik Masłowski to [John Murray?]1   25 July 1875

REDAKCJA | Biblioteki Umiejętności | przyrodniczych | ulica Batorego Nr. 92. | Kraków

dnia 28 Juillet 1875

Monsieur,

Je prends la liberté de Vous écrire encore une fois, en Vous priant de me pardonner, que je Vous prends tant de temps dans Vos travaux. Mais voilà ce qui me force à s’adresser à Vous cette fois-ci.

J’ai réçu les gravures parfaitement bien emballées, et je Vous en remercie. Mais j’ai réçu quelques unes de plus et quelques unes de moins.2

En voila celles qui me manque:

1) Fig. 32   Megalophrys montana (page 27, tome II)

2) Fig. 39   Tetrao cupido (page 57, tome II)

3) Fig. 47   Paradisea rubra (page 75, tome II)

4) Fig. 50   Rupicola crocea (page 88, tome II)

5) Fig. 51   Polyplectron chinquis (page 90, tome II)3

En même temps, avec les autres gravures, j’ai reçu sept encore, qui n’existent pas dans le livre de M. Darwin. Je les ai fait imprimés et je Vous envoie les dessins.

En conséquence je Vous prie Monsieur de vouloir bien me repondre, que signifient ces sept figures? Car je ne sais ce que representent les dessins: 1, 3, 6 et 7. Puis je ne suis pas certain est-ce que je bien compris les figures 2, 4, 5, car elles ne sont pas les mêmes que celles dans le livre de M. Darwin.4 Si Vous vous êtes trompés en me les envoyant, écrivez moi, et je Vous les renverrai; mais ayez en même temps la bonté de m’envoyer les 5 figures qui me manquent.

Peut-être Vous avez fait paraître une nouvelle édition du livre de M. Darwin, dans laquelle ces figures ont pris place; alors, ayez la bonté de me l’envoyer (un exemplaire du livre) et écrivez moi le prix, pour que je puisse Vous envoyer l’argent. Moi, j’ai l’édition de 1871 (Eighth thousand)5

Je devine un peu la signification de la figure du No 6. Car M. Darwin écrit dans son livre (page 147, vol. II) “I regret that I have not given an additional drawing, besides fig. 58, which stands about half-way in the series between one of the simple spots and a perfect ocellus” Ayez donc la bonté de me repondre si cette figure (No 6) vraiment “stands about half-way between a simple spot and a perfect ocellus” Car si c’est ainsi, je pourrai la faire imprimer dans le livre; si non—je Vous la renverrai.

Quand au dessins 1, 3, et 7, je ne puis nullement deviner leur signification. Vous me ferez donc beaucoup de grâce, si Vous m’écriviez ce qu’ils signifient.

Je dois encore Vous prier de me repondre le plutôt possible et d’inscrire sur l’envelloppe “Autriche”, car autrement la lettre part en Russie et délá déjà arrive chez moi.

Agréez, Monsieur, mes salucitations empressées | Votre devoué serviteur | Louis Masłowski

Cracovie   Batory-street 92.

CD annotations

1.1 Je ... mangue: 3.1] ‘Index. Roujou & Bertillon omit. & Prob of grt change on p.—’ ink
Top of letter: ‘(Correction of Descent)’ pencil

Footnotes

1
For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I. The addressee is conjectured on the basis of the references to illustrations for Descent 2d ed.
2
CD had changed some of the illustrations for Descent 2d. ed.; one was removed, four were replaced, and three were new (see Correspondence vol. 22, letter to John Murray, 4 April 1874 and n. 5, and letter to R. F. Cooke, 8 April 1874 and n. 2).
3
Of the figures in Masłowski’s list, number 1 was removed from Descent 2d. ed., and numbers 2–5 were replaced by figures drawn from life by Thomas W. Wood (see Descent 2d ed. 2: 27). These were: fig. 39, p. 372 (Tetrao cupido, greater prairie chicken, male), fig. 47, p. 386 (Paradisea papuana, the lesser bird-of-paradise), fig. 50, p. 395 (Rupicola crocea, cock-of-the-rock, male), and fig. 51, p. 397 (Polyplectron chinquis, now P. bicalcaratum, the grey peacock-pheasant, male).
4
The three new illustrations for Descent 2d ed. were fig. 3, p. 17, the foetus of an orang-utan; fig. 52, p. 413, a male Argus pheasant displaying before the female; and fig. 60, p. 438, the wing feather of the Argus pheasant, showing the ocelli in an intermediate condition.
5
Masłowski had requested permission to translate Descent into Polish in 1873 (see Correspondence vol. 21, letter from Ludwik Masłowski, 14 May 1873). A second edition of Descent was published in 1874. A translation of the first seven chapters was published (Masłowski trans. 1874–5). The remainder of the book was published in two parts under the title Dobór płciowy (Sexual selection; Masłowski trans. 1875). See Schümann 2008, p. 250 n. 8.

Bibliography

Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.

Descent 2d ed.: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2d edition. London: John Murray. 1874.

Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.

Schümann, Daniel. 2008. Struggle for or against participation? How Darwinism came to partitioned Poland in the 1860s and early 1870s. In The reception of Charles Darwin in Europe, edited by Eve-Marie Engels and Thomas F. Glick. London and New York: Continuum.

Translation

From Ludwik Masłowski to [John Murray?]1   25 July 1875

REDAKCJA | Biblioteki Umięjętności | przyrodniczych | ulica Batorego Nr. 92. | Kraków

28 July 1875

Sir,

I am taking the liberty of writing to you again, and beg your pardon for taking so much time from your work. But here is what is forcing me to address myself to you this time.

I have received the engravings perfectly well packaged, for which many thanks. But I have received some extra ones and some too few.2

Those that I lack are:

1) Fig. 32  Megalophrys montana (page 27, volume II)

2) Fig. 39  Tetras cupido (page 57, volume II)

3) Fig. 47  Paradisea rubra (page 75, volume II)

4) Fig. 50  Rupicola crocea (page 88, volume II)

5) Fig. 51  Polyplectron chinquis (page 90, volume II)3

At the same time, along with the other engravings, I have received seven more which do not exist in Mr. Darwin’s book. I have had them printed and am sending you the drawings.

In consequence I beg you to tell me, Sir, what these seven figures signify? For I do not know what the drawings 1, 3, 6 and 7 represent. Then I am not certain have I properly understood the figures 2, 4, 5, for they are not the same as in Mr. Darwin’s book.4 If you have made a mistake in sending me them, write to me, and I shall return them to you; but at the same time have the goodness to send me the 5 figures I lack.

Perhaps you have brought out a new edition of Mr. Darwin’s book, in which these figures appeared; if so, have the goodness to send me it (a copy of the book) and tell me the price, so that I may send you the money. I have the edition of 1871 (Eighth thousand)5

I divine the significance of the figure of No 6 somewhat. For Mr. Darwin writes in his book (page 147, vol. II) “I regret that I have not given an additional drawing, besides fig. 58, which stands about half-way in the series between one of the simple spots and a perfect ocellus” Have the goodness to to tell me whether this figure (No 6) truly “stands about half-way between a simple spot and a perfect ocellus” For if it is so, I could have it published in the book; if not—I shall return it to you.

As for drawings 1, 3, and 7, I can in no way divine their significance. You would render me a great service, if you told me what they signify.

I must also ask you to reply to me as soon as possible and to write on the envelope “Austria”, since otherwise the letter goes to Russia and from the former place it reaches me sooner.

Believe me, Sir, yours truly | Your obedient servant | Louis Masłowski

Cracow   Batory-street 92.

Footnotes

1
For a transcription of this letter in its original French, see pp. 297–8.
2
CD had changed some of the illustrations for Descent 2d. ed.; one was removed, four were replaced, and three were new (see Correspondence vol. 22, letter to John Murray, 4 April 1874 and n. 5, and letter to R. F. Cooke, 8 April 1874 and n. 2).
3
Of the figures in Masłowski’s list, number 1 was removed from Descent 2d. ed., and numbers 2–5 were replaced by figures drawn from life by Thomas W. Wood (see Descent 2d ed. 2: 27). These were: fig. 39, p. 372 (Tetrao cupido, greater prairie chicken, male), fig. 47, p. 386 (Paradisea papuana, the lesser bird-of-paradise), fig. 50, p. 395 (Rupicola crocea, cock-of-the-rock, male), and fig. 51, p. 397 (Polyplectron chinquis, now P. bicalcaratum, the grey peacock-pheasant, male).
4
The three new illustrations for Descent 2d ed. were fig. 3, p. 17, the foetus of an orang-utan; fig. 52, p. 413, a male Argus pheasant displaying before the female; and fig. 60, p. 438, the wing feather of the Argus pheasant, showing the ocelli in an intermediate condition.
5
Masłowski had requested permission to translate Descent into Polish in 1873 (see Correspondence vol. 21, letter from Ludwik Masłowski, 14 May 1873). A second edition of Descent was published in 1874. A translation of the first seven chapters was published (Masłowski trans. 1874–5). The remainder of the book was published in two parts under the title Dobór płciowy (Sexual selection; Masłowski trans. 1875). See Schümann 2008, p. 250 n. 8.

Bibliography

Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.

Descent 2d ed.: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2d edition. London: John Murray. 1874.

Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.

Schümann, Daniel. 2008. Struggle for or against participation? How Darwinism came to partitioned Poland in the 1860s and early 1870s. In The reception of Charles Darwin in Europe, edited by Eve-Marie Engels and Thomas F. Glick. London and New York: Continuum.

Summary

Has received a confusing set of engravings, with both missing and superfluous illustrations [for Polish translation of Descent].

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-10092
From
Ludwik Masłowski
To
John Murray
Sent from
Cracow
Source of text
DAR 171: 90
Physical description
ALS 4pp (French) †

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 10092,” accessed on 20 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-10092.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 23

letter

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