Ɛpsilon

From G. G. Bianconi1   26 June 1877

Monsieur!

Je me permet de me rappeler à votre souvenir dans l’occasion de vous adresser une petite brochure sur les vrilles des cucurbitacées, bien que ce travail ait été publié il y-a déja plus de vingt années.2 Ayant eu connaissance tout derniérement de votre ouvrage sur les mouvements des Plantes grimpantes, j’ai pensé qu’il ne pourrait vous être desagreable de connaitre ce petit travail sous le point de vue de l’histoire de la Science.3

Par l’analogie des arguments je me permet aussi d’y joindre un autre travail bien plus ancien, sur les mouvements des vegétaux à l’occasion de la diffusion des sémences.4

Veuillez M. les accueillir avec bonté, et agréer les sentiments de ma considération et de mon respect | v. très devoué | J. Jos. Bianconi.

Bologne 26. Juin 1877

CD annotations

Top of letter: ‘(Not yet answered)’ pencil
1
For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I.
2
Bianconi 1855. A copy is in the Darwin Pamphlet Collection–CUL.
3
Climbing plants was first published as a book in 1865; a second edition was published in 1875. CD discussed the movement of tendrils in the family Cucurbitaceae (or cucurbits; the gourd family) in Climbing plants 2d ed., pp. 127–36.
4
Bianconi 1841. A copy is in the Darwin Pamphlet Collection–CUL.

From G. G. Bianconi1   26 June 1877

Sir!

I take the liberty of remembering myself kindly to you by sending a small pamphlet on the tendrils of cucurbits, even though this work was published more than twenty years ago.2 Having only just become aware of your work on the movements of climbing plants, I thought you could not find it disagreeable from the perspective of history of science to become acquainted with this little work.3

By analogy with these arguments, I also take the liberty of enclosing another even older work, on the movements of plants when dispersing seeds.4

Please sir kindly accept the expression of my esteem and respect

your very devoted | J. Jos. Bianconi.

Bologna 26. June 1877

1
For a transcription of this letter in its original French, see Transcript.
2
Bianconi 1855. A copy is in the Darwin Pamphlet Collection–CUL.
3
Climbing plants was first published as a book in 1865; a second edition was published in 1875. CD discussed the movement of tendrils in the family Cucurbitaceae (or cucurbits; the gourd family) in Climbing plants 2d ed., pp. 127–36.
4
Bianconi 1841. A copy is in the Darwin Pamphlet Collection–CUL.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-11017,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-11017