Ɛpsilon

To Albany Hancock   24 August [1854]

Down Farnborough Kent

Aug. 24th.

My dear Sir

You may remember that you gave me permission most generously to dissect all your specimens of Alcippe lampas, which I obtained by dissolving the shell: but I have one or two in spirits not cut up. Shall I return them? or can you spare them for Brit: Mus:? I may mention that Mr. Bate has found Alcippe off Plymouth.1 I have some other specimens of yours not of much value, except one from Madeira.2 There is one, however, from Davis St.3 which I know is to be returned. I cd. return the whole lot by Post, without I have to return the Bottles.— In this latter case is there anywhere in London, where parcels collect for you?—

Allow me to thank you cordially & truly for the very great pleasure I derived from examining Alcippe lampas, which is described in full in my volume, now printed, & I presume soon to be published by the Ray Socy.—4 I have also discussed the excavating powers of Verruca, which subject I owe entirely to you.5 As there are several specs of the oxynaspis from Madeira, I have ventured to take 2 or 3 to give to Museums.

With my sincere thanks & with much respect, I remain | My dear Sir | Yours sincerely | Charles Darwin.

2
Oxynaspis celata (see Living Cirripedia (1851): 134–6).
3
Davis Strait, between Greenland and Canada, connects Baffin Bay with the Atlantic Ocean. The specimen from Hancock’s collection was Balanus porcatus (Living Cirripedia (1854): 256–9).
4
Living Cirripedia (1854): 529–63.
5
Living Cirripedia (1854): 512–18. CD prefaced this section by stating: ‘My attention was called to this subject by Mr. Hancock, whose excellent researches on the boring of Mollusca are well known.’ (p. 512).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

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Please cite as “DCP-LETT-1580,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-1580