From John Rice Crowe1   27 September 1855

Christiania

27th Sept 1855

Sir

Through the kindness of Professor Blytt2 I am enabled to forward by an English traveller to day two Specimens of Beans picked up on the North Coast of Norway: the one on Væroë on the Loffoden Islands, the other in the Alten fiord in Finmark— they are found in the form, in which you receive them, consequently not in the pod— The prevailing opinion is that they are brought to the Coast of Finmark by the Gulph Stream.

As soon as I receive any more specimens I will forward them in the meantime the Professor will feel obliged if you can give him the names of those I now send.3

I have directed them to the Royal Society

I remain Sir | Your Obedt Servt | J R Crowe

CD annotations

Top of first page: ‘18’brown crayon
Verso of last page: ‘*Hooker tells me [added] The larger seed is the Entada scandens (same as Acacia or Mimosa scandens) also cast up on one coast of Orkneys Isd. an E. & W. Indian Plant.— The smaller is “Mucuna urens” also a Leguminous plant, called “Bullocks Eyes” a common W. Indian Plant’ ink ‘Smaller seed on Viero [‘Væroe’ added above], Loffodens [‘Lofoten’ added above] Larger on Beach at Alten [‘Fintmark’ del] Finmark.’ pencil ‘I have now floated *in salt water [interl] them for 10 days and they float as well as ever’ ink
1
Crowe was British consul general in Norway, 1843–75.
2
Matthias Numsen Blytt, professor of botany at Christiania University, Norway.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-1756,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-1756