From John Ball 25 June [1874]1
10 Southwell Gardens | S. Kensington
25 June
My dear Mr Darwin
Having lately returned to England after a long absence of nearly 12 months I received only to day a note from you addressed to my former house in St George’s Road— Of course I could not comply with your wish on that occasion but although I dont like making pledges I think I may safely promise to vote at any future ballot for any one whom you recommend for the Athenaeum.2 I was tempted to write to you from Rome last winter but being laid up for some weeks failed to do so— The point was to call your attention if that had not been already done to a work by an American writer—I fancy the name is Ward—containing much curious & seemingly reliable observation of the habits of the beaver—3 I know it only at second hand through Mr Marsh4 the U. States Minister in Italy a man remarkable for a large store of accurate & well arranged knowledge on many different subjects. I fear that I have lost or mislaid the memorandum I made at the time
More recently I have heard from an old French friend whom I consider a thoroughly credible witness some anecdotes of dogs that seem to me to carry the evidence as to their intellectual faculties some degrees farther than anything I know of— If on further enquiry I am confirmed in that impression I will get my informant, who is partly a witness and in each case was well acquainted with the human & canine actors, to write the story down & forward it to you.5
Believe me | very faithfully yours | John Ball
C. Darwin Esq F.R.S.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.
Marginalia: Charles Darwin’s marginalia. Edited by Mario A. Di Gregorio with the assistance of Nicholas W. Gill. Vol. 1. New York and London: Garland Publishing. 1990.
Summary
Received CD’s note late and so could not comply, but promises to vote in future for anyone CD recommends for Athenaeum.
Will have new evidence on dog’s intelligence sent to CD.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-9512
- From
- John Ball
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- London, Southwell Gardens, 10
- Source of text
- DAR 160: 34
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 9512,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-9512.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 22