From W. D. Crick 24 March 1882
111 Overstone Road | Northampton
March 24. 82
Dear Sir
It does not matter in the least about the shell being destroyed if you had obtained all the information required, I have no doubt in my own mind that the shell was Sphærium corneum as described in Gwyn Jeffrey’s book, but I have not been working very long with the mollusca so did not care to be too certain at first, but as you would have named it Cyclas cornea then that is almost conclusive because Gwyn Jeffreys has given the name Sphærium corneum to the Cyclas cornea of Forbes & Hanley.1
You need not trouble to return either the bettle or the fragments of the shell, at the same time I always see Nature so that altho’ much obliged for your offer you need not send me a copy.2
Allow me to thank you very sincerely for the trouble you have taken in the matter | Yours very truly | Walter D. Crick
P.S. I have other specimens of the same shell if you would care for them.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Forbes, Edward and Hanley, Sylvanus. 1853. A history of British Mollusca and their shells. 4 vols. London: John Van Voorst.
Jeffreys, John Gwyn. 1862–9. British conchology, or an account of the mollusca which now inhabit the British Isles and the surrounding seas. 5 vols. London: John van Voorst.
Summary
According to John Gwyn Jeffreys’ book [British conchology (1862–9)] shell is Sphaerium corneum, a synonym of Cyclas cornea.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-13738
- From
- Walter Drawbridge Crick
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Northampton
- Source of text
- DAR 161: 253
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp & ACCS 1p
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 13738,” accessed on 7 June 2023, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-13738.xml