Ɛpsilon

From Henrietta Emma Darwin    [1 August 1863]1

A young cat of about the age of 10 months when put upon a soft cloak or gown used to take a piece in her mouth & then pound with her claws out & purr.2

mem

CD annotations

gown] ‘generally’ interl after, ink
purr.] ‘& close her eyes & look happy.— Explain the pounding.— No mistake.’ added ink | ‘(& Purr)’ added pencil | ‘Aug. 1.— 1863 | Expression’3 added ink . Transcribed 27/11/96 as previously missed. AMP. . Checked 27/11/96. SL.
1
The date is established by CD’s annotations to the letter.
2
Henrietta made a series of observations on behaviour in cats; there is a memorandum in DAR 189: 7, annotated 28 March 1862, in which Henrietta recorded her observations on the cries of cats and their meaning.
3
CD evidently preserved these observations for use in Expression, pp. 126–9. Expression was published by John Murray in 1872.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-4260F,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-4260F