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To Edward Blyth 14 September [1869]¹

Down. | Beckenham | Kent. S.E.

Sept^r 14^th

My dear M^r. Blyth.

Very many thanks for your attempts to find out about the Mandrills:² I have written to several Zoolog. Gardens on the continent, but with no success.—³ I have got from Sir W. Elliot & others some information about Indian Boar & Elephant confirming your impression.—⁴

I am very sorry to hear that you have been so badly treated by the manager of L. & W.⁵ He has cut his own throat; for to my mind your articles were incomparably the best which appeared. I left off taking in L. & W. a little time ago, for I found I had not time to read so many periodicals; but I have doubted since whether I was wise, & this was exclusively on account of your articles.

Anyhow the case is now decided. I must think about the Field.⁶

With many thanks | Yours sincerely | C. Darwin

Footnotes

The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from Edward Blyth, 13 September 1869.

See letter from Edward Blyth, 13 September 1869.

See letter from J. N. Hegt, [23 April 1869], and letter to Max Schmidt, [29 April 1869].

CD cited William Elliot on the wild boar in Descent 1: 267. See letters from Walter Elliot, 7 August 1869 and 7 September 1869.

CD refers to Land and Water; see letter from Edward Blyth, 13 September 1869.

Blyth had started writing for the Field.

Bibliography

Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.

Summary

Thanks EB for his attempts to find out about the mandrills;

sorry to hear that he has been so badly treated by the manager of Land and Water.

Letter details

Letter no.: DCP-LETT-6891
From: Charles Robert Darwin
To: Edward Blyth
Sent from: Down
Source of text: McGill University Library, Department of Rare Books
Physical description: ALS 3pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6891,” accessed on 20 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6891.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 17

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