Ɛpsilon

To S. J. Pozzi   15 May 1873

Down, | Beckenham, Kent.

May 15 1873.

Dear Sir

I thank you for your kind letter, & am glad to hear that you are making rapid progress with the translation. I am aware of my error about the word “toad”; it arose partly from my misunderstanding Mr Wedgwood in conversation, & partly from his having expressed himself too strongly; if you alter the word “all” into “some of the” languages”—the passage will be correct.1

Puff-adder = Clotho arietans of Gray

Jungle-fowl = Gallus Bankiva

Barn-owl = Strix flammea of Linn.2

I am doubtful about the French name for “spitz dog”. The breed has a sharp nose, bushy tail, long hair & is generally white. It is not an English breed, & I believe is a sub-variety of the Canis familiaris Pomeranus of Linn. & is I believe “Der Wolf’s Hund” of Bechstein, who also calls it “weisser Spitz”.3

I have now answered your questions to the best of my power & remain dear Sir | yours faithfully & obliged | Ch. Darwin

LS(A)

1
See letter from S. J. Pozzi, 11 May 1873 and n. 4. Pozzi was translating Expression into French. CD refers to Hensleigh Wedgwood; in Expression 2d ed., p. 110, the claim that in all European languages the word for toad expressed the habit of swelling was changed to read ‘in several of the languages of Europe’.
2
The puff adder is now Bitis arietans. See letter from S. J. Pozzi, 11 May 1873.
3
Johann Matthäus Bechstein described the Wolfshund as probably a cross between a wolf and a spaniel in Bechstein 1801–9, 1: 551. The first two volumes of Bechstein’s work in the Darwin Library–CUL are from the second edition (Bechstein 1801–9); the third and fourth volumes are from the first edition (Bechstein 1789–95). All are annotated (see Marginalia 1: 38–44).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

2.1 of Gray] interl in CD’s hand
4.1 of Linn.] interl in CD’s hand

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-8912G,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-8912G