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Darwin Correspondence Project

From Víctor López-Seoane1   19 December 1881

Coruña

le 19 dec 1881

Monsieur,

J’ai eu l’honneur de vous envoyer par la poste quelques brochures, que je vous prie de les accepter comme le temoignage de ma simpathie et dévouement.2

Il y a trois ans que je mis en très attentives observations sur les evolutions embriologiques des Triton de mon pays (Tr. marmoratus, Boscai, helveticus, et une nouvelle espèce)3 mais dans mon desire de faire ces observations le plus mieux possible, je me permette de vous prier des indications des travailles les plus recents et interessants sur ce sujet.

Egalement je serais très heureux d’entendre quelques paroles de vous, sur la manière de faire les espèces par les fanatiques. J’accepte votres savants theories, d’après des si attentives observations: la selection peut, sans doute, donner lien à des nouvelles formes, sans être plus autre chose que des races locaux.

Vipera ammodytes, par exemple, n’est pas que V. Latastei, avec un peu plus de developpement du tubercule nasale.4

Vipera berus, n’est plus que V. Seoanei, d’une autre couleur, sous l’influence du climat, d’ l’alimentation, à la manière que les races humaines varien extraordinairement par les chanchements de climat, habitudes, alimentation, etc.5

Fonder sur des si minimes variations les nouvelles espèces, c’est embrouiller la science d’un tel point qu’arriver le jour de ne pas se dentendre! C’est vraiment ridicule, que le talent des savant ce sois reglee, par le nombre des espèces decrites: vous, je ne connais du moins, le nombre extraordinaire des espèces que vous aviez decrite, mais votre profondes etudes, la synthesis de tous des observations ont aporter la lumière à la philosophie scientifique, de la quelle nous devons rapporter bien plus des services positives, que de ces embrouilles classifications et descriptions filles d’une imagination, plusieurs des fois, malade, ou du moins, preocupe et aussi céruxe.

Pardonner, Monsieur, de vous deranger à tel point, mais je suis en intention de parler à propos des divers espèces de tritons, quelques mots sur l’espece, et je serais bien heureux de vous devoir votre profonde et savant conseille.

Agrèez, Monsieur, l’assurance de la plus distinguée considération V. L. Seoane | Ancien Prof. d’hist. nat. Coruña (Espagne)

CD annotations

Top of letter: ‘Balfour— | I have not attended your essays | About species— Yet reordered.—Cirripedes | French & German | Spanish’ pencil
Bottom of first page: ‘It wd be a duty & pleasure to aid you in any way’ pencil

Footnotes

For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I.
For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I.
No works by López-Seoane have been found in the Darwin Archive–CUL. López-Seoane appears to have self-published a number of short works on the description and embryology of several newt species (for a list of these, see Instituto Jose Cornide de Estudios Coruñeses, www.coruna.gal/ijcec/gl/v-lopez-seoane/fondo-documental?argPag=74 (accessed 3 September 2020)).
Triton marmoratus is a synonym of Triturus marmoratus (marbled newt). Triton boscai is a synonym of Lissotriton boscai (Bosca’s newt). Triton helveticus is a synonym of Lissotriton helveticus (palmate newt). The new species was probably a newt described by López-Seoane as Lissotriton helveticus alonsoi, a Galician subspecies of the palmate newt (a synonym of Lissotriton helveticus).
Vipera ammodytes is the horned viper; V. latastei is Lataste’s viper, or the snub-nosed viper.

Translation

From Víctor López-Seoane1   19 December 1881

Coruña

19 Dec 1881

Sir,

I had the honour of sending you in the post a few pamphlets, which I ask you to accept as a token of my sympathy and devotion.2

Three years ago I observed very attentively the embryological development of the Tritons of my country (Tr. marmoratus, Boscai, helveticus, and a new species)3 but wishing to make the best possible observations, I take the liberty of asking for your instruction on the most recent and interesting works on the subject.

Likewise I would be very happy to hear any words from you, on the manner of making species by fanatics. I accept your wise theories, based on such careful observations: selection can, without doubt, result in new forms, without being anything more than local races.

Vipera ammodytes, for example, is only V. Latastei, with a slightly greater development of the nasal tubercules.4

Vipera berus, is only V. Seoanei, in another colour, under the influence of climate, of diet, in the way that human races vary enormously by changes of climate, customs, diet, etc.5

Basing new species on such minimal variations, science is confused to such an extent that the day comes when it cannot listen! It is truly ridiculous, that the talent of scholars should be determined by the number of species described: you, I do not know at all, the extraordinary number of species that you have described, but your deep studies, the synthesis of all these observations has shone a light on scientific philosophy, of which we must report many more positive services, than the confusion of classifications and descriptions that are often daughters of an imagination that is sick, or at least, preoccupied and also clouded.

Pardon me, Sir, for bothering you to such an extent, but I wanted to discuss the diverse species of Triton, a few words on species, and I would be very happy for you to provide your profound and wise advice.

Accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration. V. L. Seoane | Former Prof. of nat. hist. Coruña (Spain)

Footnotes

For a transcription of this letter in its original French, see Transcript.
No works by López-Seoane have been found in the Darwin Archive–CUL. López-Seoane appears to have self-published a number of short works on the description and embryology of several newt species (for a list of these, see Instituto Jose Cornide de Estudios Coruñeses, www.coruna.gal/ijcec/gl/v-lopez-seoane/fondo-documental?argPag=74 (accessed 3 September 2020)).
Triton marmoratus is a synonym of Triturus marmoratus (marbled newt). Triton boscai is a synonym of Lissotriton boscai (Bosca’s newt). Triton helveticus is a synonym of Lissotriton helveticus (palmate newt). The new species was probably a newt described by López-Seoane as Lissotriton helveticus alonsoi, a Galician subspecies of the palmate newt (a synonym of Lissotriton helveticus).
Vipera ammodytes is the horned viper; V. latastei is Lataste’s viper, or the snub-nosed viper.
Vipera berus is the common European viper; V. seoanei is the Portuguese or Iberian viper.

Summary

Asks CD for some references to aid his work. [Brief annotations for a reply by CD.]

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-13568
From
Víctor López-Seoane
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Coruna
Source of text
DAR 202: 108
Physical description
ALS 4pp † (French)

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 13568,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-13568.xml

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