Ɛpsilon

From D. F. Nevill   26 [December 1874]1

Dangstein. Petersfield

26th

My dear Sir

If it would not be asking too much I should feel so grateful if at any time you would let me know the result of your labours on the Utricularia2   I cannot address Dr Hooker just now and I am thirsting for further knowledge—3 You must always remember that if we can aid you with any plants we shall be delighted   I have been reading your sons articles in the Contemporary Review with the greatest interest—4 A lady near here had charge of two Brazilian love birds5 they escaped from their cage last June—and the other day one was found—almost a skeleton (nothing but the feathers) lying on its back in a Robins6 nest having turned the real mother out—as underneath the bird were the remains of 3 tiny Robins—evidently all starved to death by the foolish love bird not knowing how to find her food   I thought this anecdote might interest you and yet I am half afraid you might think it beneath your notice

believe me | Ys truly | D Nevill

1
The month and year are established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to D. F. Nevill, 29 December 1874.
2
In his letter to Nevill of 18 September [1874], CD had described experiments that he planned to carry out on a specimen of Utricularia montana that she had sent him. Utricularia montana is a synonym of U. alpina.
3
Hooker’s wife, Frances Harriet Hooker, died on 13 November 1874 (Allan 1967, p. 225).
4
George Howard Darwin’s most recent article in the Contemporary Review was ‘Professor Whitney on the origin of language’ (G. H. Darwin 1874c). He had also written two articles for the Contemporary Review in 1873 (G. H. Darwin 1873a and 1873b).
5
Brazilian love birds: probably a species of Psittacula (see Newton 1893–6, 2: 521–2).
6
The European robin is Erithacus rubecula.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-9782,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-9782