To Hugh Falconer 22 April [1863]1
Down,
April 22nd
My dear Falconer
It was very good of you to tell me about Quatrefages (who has been very good- natured towards me) and especially about the Brazilian beast.2 I do hope a cast will be procured for this country. What an extraordinary creature it must be.3 If it turns, out as is too probable, a comparatively modern cave-fossil, the fact will not be altogether so pleasant for me, seeing how intermediate it is. I must coolly assume it is a very old form & like one of the Ganoid fishes, which are so comparatively common in S. America,4 that has lived almost to the present day. It is a converse case of unpleasantness to that of Plagioaulax.5 Nevertheless so intermediate a form is very glorious. I have been, as you supposed, grieved as a man of science, and as a very sincere friend of Lyell and you, at the quarrel in the Athenæum.6 But there is no need for me to say anything. With many thanks for your note
My dear Falconer | Yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Wheeler, Alwyne. 1985. The world encyclopedia of fishes. New edition. London and Sydney: Macdonald.
Summary
Good of HF to tell him about Brazilian beast. So intermediate a form is "very glorious". Must assume it is very old.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-4121
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Hugh Falconer
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 144: 31
- Physical description
- C 1p
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4121,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-4121.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 11