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From Valentine Ball   8 April 1880

37 Northumberland Road | Dublin

8th. April 1880

Dear Sir

I have just received from Messrs De La Rue a letter enclosing one from you acknowledging the receipt of a copy of “Jungle Life” which was forwarded to you by my direction1

I have been encouraged to offer the copy for your acceptance in consequence of the favourable notice which the work has received from over twenty Reviewers both in England & India; and at the same time in recognition of the benefits I have received from the study of your works2

The particular branch of Zoology to which I have given most attention is Geographical Distribution and my collections are extensive including about 1000 species of birds—besides mammals, insects & shells &c

Should I return to India as I expect to be obliged to do in about six months, I shall ever be ready to conduct any line of inquiry or investigation, so far as I am able, with which you may think fit to entrust me.

I am anxious however to leave India in consequence of the Government refusing to relax the harsh rules under which Geologists have to serve namely thirty years active field work are required to secure a very small pension3

Yours faithfully | V. Ball

1
CD’s letter has not been found; Thomas De La Rue & Co. had published Ball’s Jungle life in India (Ball 1880). CD’s copy is in the Darwin Library–Down.
2
Ball’s book was favourably reviewed in the Athenæum, 13 March 1880, pp. 337–8. No other reviews have been found.
3
Ball gave up his position at the Geological Survey of India in 1881, when he became professor of geology and mineralogy at the University of Dublin (Geological Magazine 2 (1895): 382).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12566,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12566