To Walter Elliot   3 August [1869]1

Down. | Beckenham | Kent. S.E.

Aug. 3d

My dear Sir

Your former great kindness in giving me valuable information, makes me think that you will, if in your power, answer me a question.2

I want to know what mammals are polygamous, & I cannot find any statement about the wild Boar in Europe. In India do you happen to know whether during the breeding season, the Boar is accompanied by two or more sows?3

I hope that you will excuse me for troubling you & believe me | My dear Sir | Yours faithfully | Ch. Darwin

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from Walter Elliot, 7 August 1869.
2
CD cited Elliot a number of times in Variation for providing him with information on horses and poultry in India. Their last known correspondence was in 1858; see Correspondence vol. 7.
3
Elliot resided in India from 1820 until his return to England in 1860 (ODNB). CD was researching polygamy in relation to sexual selection, and cited Elliot for information on polygamy in boars in India in Descent 1: 267.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

0.1 Beckenham] before del ‘Bromley.’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-6849,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-6849