To Alfred Moschkau 28 March 1878
Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.
March 28th 1878
Dear Sir
I thank you for your very kind letter.1 As temperament or mental disposition almost certainly depends on the structure of the brain, it is incredible to me that the nature of the milk, which is digested, can affect the character of the child. The case of diseases seems to me very different.2 Your facts about the Starling (which in a state of nature imitates the cry & songs of other birds) are very curious; but I have become so absorbed with vegetable physiology that it is not likely I shall ever again attend to the minds of the higher animals.
Pray believe me | Dear Sir | Yours faithfully | Ch. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.
Summary
Does not believe that nature of milk can affect character of child.
Facts about starling very curious, but CD now absorbed by vegetable physiology. Not likely to attend to animal minds again.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-11451
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Otto Carl Alfred (Alfred) Moschkau
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.532)
- Physical description
- ALS 1p
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 11451,” accessed on 24 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-11451.xml