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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Letter, 'On the vitality of the ova of the Salmonidae of different ages' from John Davy to Charles Darwin

Reference number: AP/38/7

Date: 10 January 1856

Description

Davy expresses his aim to identify 'the period, the age, at which the impregnated ova of fish are most retentive of life, and consequently are in the state best fitted for transport without loss of life'. He communicates details of his experiments and research into this matter. He concludes from his experimental results that 'the strength of vitality of the impregnated ovum, or its power of resisting agencies unfavourable to its life, gradually increases with age and the process of foetal development'.

Subject: Biology / Zoology / Reproduction

Received 15 January 1856. Read 7 February 1856.

Written by Davy at Lesketh How, Ambleside [England].

This letter was published in full in volume 8 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'On the vitality of the ova of the salmonidæ of different ages; in a letter addressed to Charles Darwin, Esq., M. A., V. P. R. S. &c'.

Reference number
AP/38/7
Earliest possible date
10 January 1856
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
15 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

John Davy

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Citation

John Davy, Letter, 'On the vitality of the ova of the Salmonidae of different ages' from John Davy to Charles Darwin, 10 January 1856, AP/38/7, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_38_7/letter-on-the-vitality-of-the-ova-of-the-salmonidae-of-different-ages-from-john-davy-to-charles-darwin, accessed on 08 September 2024

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https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_38_7/letter-on-the-vitality-of-the-ova-of-the-salmonidae-of-different-ages-from-john-davy-to-charles-darwin

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  • Archived Papers

    Dates: 1768-1989

    The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.

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