July | 14th ⟨some text⟩
Charles Darwin Esqr | Down. Bromley. Kent
Sir—
I hope you will pardon my intruding on your fully occupied time in the hope of obtaining the solution of a question which has often puzzled me.
What prompts dogs of all kinds to roll themselves on decayed animal matter? is it an act⟨u⟩al present gratification or an in an inherited habit. Dog⟨s⟩ have been my daily compan⟨ion⟩s for years & they have all done whatever their bringing up has been, but the most ⟨ line missing⟩ in this ⟨ line missing⟩ known is ⟨ line missing⟩ poodle which we ⟨have⟩ had f⟨rom⟩ puppyhood & he ⟨if⟩ he can find nothing better will ⟨ro⟩ll himself on a dried up ⟨fi⟩g as dry as an old board. He cannot do this from any moisture communicated thereby to his own skin or by way of perfuming himself for I examined the thing & it had no smell but he certainly derived pleasure from the operation for on returning to the same spot after a weeks interval, he hunted out his [rollee] & began at once. My setters spaniels & other dogs never miss a chance in this way but ⟨ line missing⟩ poodle is the w⟨ line missing⟩ Foxes have the ⟨ line missing⟩ but prefer ⟨ ⟩ remain ⟨ ⟩ cat to anything else & ⟨ ⟩ travel for miles for the c⟨ha⟩nce of a roll in these rema⟨ins⟩.
I do not think that I ev⟨er⟩ observed dogs follow this habit in China or elsewhere in the East but of this I am not certain.
Pray accept my thanks for the many hours of instructive & most amusing reading your published works have afforded me. & I have the honor to be | Yours faithfully | W Bridges
Please cite as “DCP-LETT-13782,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on