Ɛpsilon

To William Saville-Kent   28 March [1877]1

March 28th

Private | W. S. Kent Er

Dear Sir

There can be no doubt that the position of an A. & Z. station in Jersey might be of much service to natural science; but without attending more to the subject & learning more details, than the state of my health & opportunities permit, I do not feel justified in expressing any public opinion with respect to your scheme or having my name placed on a Committee when it is quite possible for me [to not] attend.2 You have much better means than I can have of passing a sound judgment, but I have heard that Aquaria, as places of amusement, now that so many have [here been founded], are not likely to answer commercially.— If you form an one for solely scientific purposes, I shall be very, be glad to consider whether I will subscribe to it.— I am sorry that my answer shd be so uncertain & remain Dear Sir | Yours faithfully

ADraft

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from William Saville-Kent, 26 March 1877.
2
Saville-Kent had sent CD a commercial proposal for an aquarium and zoological station at Jersey; he wanted CD to be a member of the honorary scientific committee (see letter from William Saville-Kent, 26 March 1877).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.1 in Jersey] interl
1.2 much] above del ‘great’
1.2 attending … & 1.3] interl after del ‘going’
1.3 than] altered from ‘that’; after del ‘, with respect to your scheme,’
1.3 than the] ‘the’ above del ‘my’
1.3 state] after del ‘weak state of’
1.4 or having … attend 1.5] interl
1.5 a Committee] ‘a’ interl
1.5 it is quite] after del ‘I could never’
1.6 means … have] interl above del ‘opportunities’
1.7 as] after del ‘many’
1.7 places] ‘s’ added; after del ‘means’
1.7 amusement] ‘ment’ over ‘ing’
1.7 [here been founded]] above del ‘the public’
1.8 If] ‘I’ over ‘i’; after del ‘But’
1.8 one] above del ‘association [or] [illeg]’
1.8 for] after interl & del ‘solely’
1.8 solely] added
1.9 I shall] ‘I’ after del ‘alone’
1.9 shall be very] above del ‘will gladly’
1.9 be glad to] added after del illeg

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-10917,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-10917