To John Murray   2 November [1867]1

Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.

Nov 2.

My dear Sir

Many thanks about the index. I have returned the M.S. with a note to Mr Dallas; it seems very well done but rather too full.2

With respect to the story of a hybrid from an ass and a bull (for I presume you refer to such) it is utterly incredible.3 Many similar stories have been propagated, but on investigation have proved entirely false.

The explanation has generally been a slight monstrosity.

My dear Sir | yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

LS

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from W. S. Dallas, 4 November 1867.
2
CD refers to William Sweetland Dallas’s specimen of the index for Variation (see letter from John Murray, 1 November [1867]). Neither the enclosure nor CD’s note to Dallas has been found.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-5667,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-5667