To W. B. Dawkins 26 August [1867]
Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.
Aug 26
My dear Sir
I am much obliged for the present of your two papers. I have not had time as yet to do more than glance at them & refer to the case of the Galloways.1 I had heard something of this latter case, but not in such detail. I have nearly finished printing a book on the Variation of domestic animals;2 but I am sorry to say for my own sake that the chapter on cattle is printed off, so that I shall not be able at present to profit by your papers.3 I have been interested by all your previous work, & I am sure I shall be so in an especial degree on the descent of the species of Rhinoceros.4
As far as I understand your plans of ascertaining the amount of difference between existing & extinct forms, it seems to me very good; & I feel sure that the attempt will be valuable & very interesting.5
Permit me to add that your letter has pleased me much, for from your previous papers I supposed that you considered species to be immutable, & as I am an advocate for mutability, the opinion of so able a judge as yourself was a great discouragement to me.
With my best thanks & sincere respect for your scientific labours I remain | My dear Sir | Yours very faithfully | Charles Darwin
W. Boyd Dawkins
Upminster | Romford
Footnotes
Bibliography
Dawkins, William Boyd. 1866. On the fossil British oxen. Part I. Bos urus, Caesar. [Read 21 March 1866.] Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London 22: 391–401.
Variation 2d ed.: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2d edition. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1875.
Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.
Summary
Thanks for information on Galloway cattle. [See 5614.]
Interested in WBD’s work on descent of the rhinoceros; is pleased to learn that he does not consider species to be immutable.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-5616A
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- William Boyd Dawkins
- Sent from
- Down
- Postmark
- AU 26 67
- Source of text
- DAR 249: 79
- Physical description
- LS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 5616A,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-5616A.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 15