To Roland Trimen 2 January [1868]1
Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.
Jan. 2d
My dear Mr Trimen
What you say about the ocelli is exactly what I want, viz the greatest range of variation within the limits of the same species,—greater than in the Meadow Brown if that be possible.2 The range of difference within the same genus is of secondary interest; nevertheless if you find any good case of variation, I shd. much like to hear how far the species of the same genus differ in the ocelli. As I know from your Orchid Drawings how skilful an artist you are, perhaps it would not give you much more trouble to sketch any variable ocelli than to describe them.—3 I am very much obliged to you for so kindly assisting me, & for your two pieces of information in your note about the sexes of the Batchian Butterfly & about the Longicorn Beetle.—4
With many thanks, pray believe me | Yours very 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–.
Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.
Wallace, Alfred Russel. 1864b. On the phenomena of variation and geographical distribution as illustrated by the Papilionidæ of the Malayan region. [Read 17 March 1864.] Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 25 (1865–6): 1–71.
Summary
CD seeks information on the variation of ocelli within species of butterflies.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-5772
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Roland Trimen
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Royal Entomological Society (Trimen papers, box 21: 62)
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 5772,” accessed on 19 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-5772.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 16