Ɛpsilon

To Francis Darwin   13 May [1872]1

Down, Beckenham, Kent.

May 13th.

My dear Frank

Will you try to persuade Mr. Bartlett to do me a great favour (and if he will, report the result to me)—viz. to show to the Porcupine a live snake, observe whether the sight of the snake will make it rattle the quills on the tail, as Mr. Bartlett showed me that the Porcupine does when angered.2

You can read this note to Mr. Bartlett.

Yours affectionately | C. Darwin.

Copy

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from A. D. Bartlett, 16 May 1872.
2
Abraham Dee Bartlett was superintendent of the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park, London.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-8325,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-8325