To F. du C. Godman   4 March [1871]1

Down. | Beckenham | Kent. S.E.

March 4th

Dear Sir

I was lately in London, & was informed by some one (as he believed) that you had already started.—2 I then consulted Mr Sclater about the spare copy of your book, & he said he had just heard from Dr. Hartlaub (I do not know whether spelt rightly) the ornithologist, who much wanted a copy, & is a poor man, so I thought I cd. not do than hand it to Mr Sclater to forward.—3 I hope that this will meet with your approval.—

The point for enquiry is a very trifling one, viz whether Camels, when they utter a loud & prolonged sound, with violent expiration (& I have read that when loaded or ill-treated, they scream or groan loudly)—whether at the moment they contract their eyelids & skin round the eyes, as if shutting them violently;—or whether they do this in any degree.—4 In the Zoolog. Gardens the Camels never make any noise, so that I cannot observe this little point.

With my thanks for your kindness I remain | Dear Sir | Yours faithfully | Ch. Darwin

1
The year is established by the reference to CD’s recent trip to London and by the reference to Godman 1870 (see nn. 2 and 3, below).
2
CD was in London from 23 February to 2 March 1871 (see ‘Journal’ (Appendix II)). Godman visited Madeira and the Canary Islands in 1871 (‘Obituary notices of fellows deceased’, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B 91 (1920): iii).
3
CD had evidently received two copies of Natural history of the Azores (Godman 1870), one of which he had sent to Philip Lutley Sclater (see letter to P. L. Sclater, [24 February 1871] and n. 2). The second copy was for Gustav Hartlaub.
4
In Expression, pp. 158–63, CD discussed the contraction of muscles around the eyes during screaming in humans and some other mammals, but did not mention camels.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

0.1 Beckenham] before del ‘Bromley.’
1.1 he] above del ‘who’
1.4 so] after del ‘&’
2.2 & prolonged] interl

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-7543,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-7543