Ɛpsilon

To G. R. Gray   12 July 1869

Caerdeon | Barmouth.

July 12. 1869.

Dear Mr. Gray

As you have always given me information & aided me in every way in the kindest manner at the British Museum, it would give me much pleasure to send you a Testimonial of your abilities as a Naturalist.1 But you are aware that I am not an ornithologist or an Entomologist; & it is impossible for me to express any opinion regarding the merits of your works on these subjects; but I may add that I have heard those who are capable of judging speak in high terms of your knowledge of the species of Birds, & especially of your knowledge of the literature of ornithology.—2

Pray believe me | Dear Mr Gray | Yours very faithfully | Ch. Darwin

To G. R. Gray Esq

1
See letter from G. R. Gray, 9 July 1869. Gray had assisted CD in completing the volume on birds (Birds) for Zoology of the voyage of HMS Beagle (Zoology) after John Gould left for Australia in 1838 (Lightman ed. 2004).
2
Although Gray was in charge of the bird collection at the British Museum, his personal interest was in entomology and he wrote on both ornithological and entomological topics (Lightman ed. 2004).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.1 in the … manner 1.2] interl

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-6827,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-6827