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Mary Anning is exceedingly sorry she has not been able to answer Dr. Buckland's letter sooner, the reason for not having done so was because I had found a part of a very large skeleton, and was in hope it might turn out fine but am sorry to say it has not. In regard to the Ichthyosaurus Dr. Buckland has heard of it is now in the possession of Miss Philpot, it is a small animal laying on its back and you would almost fancy that it was in the very act of voiding its [albian gronum?] for it lays at the bottom of the stomach and touching the bones of the pelvis, this little animal is a most illustrative specimen laying in nearly perfect order, and it illustrated a geological fact as the upper part of the body was on one side of a fault and the posterior part on the other and the divided parts matched exactly, the fault was about eight inches.

I have another part of a skeleton very beautiful by me with a bezore very plain but much flattened, it is remarkable that this creature is covered by scales like our small fish, its sternum very fine, no paddles but altogether a remarkable pretty thing price four pound. I have also another with the head and back very good with the bezoar in its stomach but not so clear as the one above described, price £4. I believe I venture to say that two out of three has more or less of it.

Cpt [Morings] beautiful little skeleton is not very good you can only see its form as he will not pick it for fear of injuring the animal, he would dispose of that if he could get £50 for it. I have never seene but three specimens of the plesiosaurus at all connected, and do not think that either of them had any sing of it. I think the small ichthyosaurus that Geographical Society purchased of me had the bezoar if you should go to town you can examine it.

Respectful Remembrance to Mrs Buckland and kiss your dear lovely baby

Your obliged humble Servant

Mary Anning

Dr. Buckland
[?] [?]
Christ Church
Oxford

I fear Dr. Buckland will think that I have forgotten to send the fish but I have been far from well or should have sent it sooner. The Ammonite with its parasites and the wood ditto. I hope Dr. B will accept as a small token of my sense of Dr. B's kind present of the pictures I have already sold saving the [?] of shells are also parasites having entirely displaced the ammonite which always the case with this species of ammonite I fear there is nothing new in the coprolites - trusting that Mrs Buckland and the dear children are quite well.

I remain respectfully your gratefully and obliged humble Servt.

Mary Anning

Sir
Having collected a basket full of Coprolites and Sepias, the large Sepia I hope you will think illustrative - nearly the whole of the Coprolites came from the Coprolite or fish ledge there is two of these ledges about eight feet apart. I have no doubt myself but that they were dropped quietly were we now find them and that the Ichthyosaurus fed on scaly fish you will find two together to prove this in some measure. I have also sent two fragments of the first [chamber?] of the Ammonite with that black [undescribed?] substance, it positively is not any portion of the shell do not go calling me a fool remember the Tortise footsteeps. Sir have you observed in the Sepias a substance resembling Coprolite besides the sack or ink bag - In thinking over Miss Philpot's collection I reccolected two little rings which we could not make out at the time I found them. It is very probably that they may be the sepia rings. Miss P has kindly given me one of them for you. Mr de la Beche and myself a few days back went down to search the Red Marle we found a pretty vegetable and fish scales in it as black as those found in lias. How is Mrs Buckland and the two dear boys. I trust by this time you have welcomed a little stranger I hope it is a girl like her mother and you need not wish for anything better on Earth, please to present my best respects to Mrs. B. Should you wish for any more Cops. or Sepia please to write word

Your obliged humble Servant
Mary Anning

Addressed to Dr. Buckland
Christ Church
Oxford

To Rev W Buckland
[?] [?]
C.C. College
Oxford

46 Russell Square
11 May 18[--]

Dear Sir

I shall not return till Friday the 19th as my Father and Mother are detained in Worcestershire and I thought it better to write to tell you of this alteration in my plans, as you were so good as to say you would ride to Abingdon to give me instructions about [?] drawing. The Fossil you can send when you please as they will take great care of any box directed to me and, if you can make it convenient to return to Oxford by Abingdon on Monday week I shall be very happy to see you. The Misses [?] asked me if it was possible that the gentleman who contradicted every word Dr Leach said at the Museum the other day could be Mr Buckland I have seen our new little friend once, and I hope to visit the Museum again. If I can be of any use to you in London, let me know - I lent your lecture to my old school mistress who is very much pleased with it. I wish you had time and inclination to write an elementary work on Geology you write so clearly and intelligibly that such a Publication would be most useful - I really believe that [to] many wise folks geologists are half Infidels and tho' your Lecture is well calculated to remove these prejudices, still a longer Treatise on the subject would be in my opinion (which however I offer with due humility) very [hole in paper] desirable
I durst write no more, as I may be told that my pen moves as fast as my Tongue and to as little purpose perhaps.

Believe me my dear Sir
Very truly yours
Mary Morland

To Revd. W. Buckland
Corpus Christi College
Oxford

Dover
Thursday
9 J[ul]y 1825

My dearest friend,
We are just arrived after a rough passage and proceed to London tomorrow whether we get there tomorrow night, or not, I cannot tell you, but we shall certainly be at home on Sunday - Your Birds I have brought with me safely to this place, they are well stuffed and I hope you will like them - I saw in [Gagliano's?] Journal this morning that Professor Buckland had been presented by the Emperor of [B] with a small box composed of the fossil tooth of an elephant - We were only 3 days in Paris and are returned. The [?] family were as kind to me as before; they pressed me very much to dine with them to meet Lady [Davy/Barry?] and many English people, but my courage failed me - the last volume of Operman Fossilis was sent to you a little time since by a Quaker whose name I forget. M [?] admires the Duchess of Northumberland extremely he said "elle a beaucoup parle de vous" so that had I been in Paris I should without doubt have [been] introduced to her Grace. I have had another lesson in Lithography, and have brought a cargo of pencils home for Lithography - The Artist I mentioned to you, who draws so well on stone, complimented me very much on my attempt tho he was obliging enough to point out my errors.
I have only heard once from home. I trust I shall find you all well - Every body ought to go abroad to know the happiness of returning home again. I hope this will find you in Oxford as I shall see you soon. I only add that I am missing my dearest friend.
yr. very affectionate
Mary Morland

If unfortunately, you are not in Oxford pray write to me directly you receive this - Has the Chancellor decided?
Ever yours
M.M.

To The Rev. Professor Buckland
Post Office
Inverary
Scotland

Sheepstead
July 15 [1824?]

Write in detail and on Foolscap if you have time, I do not wait for any answers

My dear Sir,

It gave me sincere pleasure to hear that your Party promised to well, and I trust that the sea may now cease to be Ipecacuanha to you and that you may have every enjoyment possible in your Scottish excursion. To be sure three months is a long time to look forward to your absence and, I miss you very much already, but it would be the extreme of selfishness to wish you anywhere than on the spot where you are now - there seems to be an ample field laid open to you in Scotland, and I anticipate your doing great things there while you are traversing the Sea and the Land and contemplating Nature in her wildest and most imposing attire pursuing enquiries so highly interesting to yourself and to science. I am employed in tying up flowers and killing snails - the comparison makes me appear somewhat contemptible in my own eyes and, I could almost wish myself a man - but, were I one of the Lords instead of the Ladies of Creation I might probably have been envious and jealous of your fame and success whereas they now afford me the highest gratification so that I believe matters are better as they are. I only wish that among those nearest and dearest to me I could find some Companion in my noble pursuit of gardening and snail destroying, but, Alas! I fear they are not [?] to it, as old Isaac Walton says of a man who does love fishing. I have tried to make all my sisters from the biggest to the last take some sort of interest in these things but in vain and, in the midst of a large family, I live in solitude as far as lies in community of pursuits and occupations. I often fear I shall grow absolutely stupid, if it were not for your society [occurs?] to rub up my Intellects I think I should, nevertheless, it is a mortifying fact that I always feel conscious of being particularly dull and flat in your presence - this dullness appears to be extending itself into my letters but it is unavoidable , for I have not the least interesting matter to communicate to you. Mr [Tuckwell?] dined here last week to see Lady [Pegge?] but he told no Oxford news worth relating. I have not yet heard when I am to go into [Sussex?] I wish you had seen the Aylings on your [road?] hope you will see more of Dr. Chalmers [hole in page] Did you ever read his Sermons? On the Impiety of Modern Philosophy? I believe he alludes more particularly to Geology. I mean to the fanciful theories put forth concerning that science. Mr [?] orations lie before me speaking of the neglect of spiritual things among the higher classes of society, he says "The [rocks] from promintory residences among the clouds to their deep rests in the dark bowels of the Earth, have a most bold and [venturous] priesthood who see in them rough and flinty, faces a more delectable image to adore than in the [?] countenance of God happily your Geology has been turned to a better account that do deserve [?] such a censure. I hope you mean to give me a series of Scottishrock specimens of your own collecting - I would suggest the plan of your keeping the corner of a box for my exclusive use, or I shall get none for you have left me with a single stump of an [Elysenses?] tooth by way of "Specimens found of Kirkdale" Pray don't use me so shabbily again for I want to keep up my small geological collection -
I think as soon as you have filled a little box you had better send it off to me at once - I find the books you were so kind as to send me on shells very useful. Did I tell you that Mrs. Duffield's governess who is so perfectly acquainted with Italian has taken me in hand and I am making good progress in the language, so that the next time you give me an Italian letter to translate I shall be au fait in the matter. I am very sorry the bone was broken - I acknowledge my unskilled packing, however, remember this is the first accident that ever befel the numerous bones which have for years journeyed to and fro, in Mr. [Chees's?] cart. Being come to the end of my paper I have only to say God Bless You - the oftener you can write, the oftener will you give pleasure to yours

Most truly

M.M.

Sheepstead

Sheepstead
Jul 26
1826

To the Revd
Professor Buckland
Post Office
Tobermorey
Mull
Scotland

My dear Sir
Thank you for your last kind letter, I am very glad to hear your voyage proceeds so [propiciously?] and that you have had such pleasant companions - it was very provoking to miss of the Giant's Causeway, but I hope a fair voyage to Staffa may compensate in some measure for your disappointment, I congratulate you on your satisfactory visit to Arran I have no doubt your researches will throw much light on those perplexing trap rocks, though Dr Shuttleworth may say what he please of Isap being understood by most Professors its history appears to me very little known by any of them. Dr McCullochs account of Arran is not at all intelligible - I should think the S.E of Sky will prove very interesting is it not there that a Isap Dyke converts some of the Lias into Marble as on the C. of [Ireland?] I wish I had any entertaining matter to communicate to you but I have only everyday occurrences to detail - My dear father is returned from his journeys in high health and, I trust he will continue to be free from gout - I have not heard from Miss Ayling and I begin to be astonished at her silence, but I am known so wonderfully patient under the influence of my watchword "[?] tranquille" that I seldom permit myself to fidgit, tho' Nature certainly did not make me a stoic. I hope you will meet with no greater dangers than occur from the [?] [?] and that your Trap hunting will not lead you into unnecessary risks, if I don't hear from you at no very distant intervals, I shall fancy in spite of "[?] tranquille" that you have tumbled over a Gneiss Precipice, or that a huge [?] has swallowed you or a thousand other terrible disasters. Your last letter was an unexpected pleasure to me, for I did not think to hear quite so soon - I hope I may often have such agreeable surprises. I have found a rare and very pretty shell in the Coppice and my Collection of fresh-water shells comes on very well it is surprising how much thicker a shell becomes when the animal dies in it and it is gradually dried up by the sun and air - I find that the animals inhabiting the shells contain, apparently dispersed over their bodies very minute grains of lime and very pure Carbonate I should imagine, from their [efficasing] so violently with acids. In some the larger grains of lime are as large as a small pin's head will [?] [torn paper] this account for the Shell becoming nearly [Paper missing] twice as thick under the circumstances I have mentioned and I think this may be the reason why many fossil shells which appear to have been originally very fragile are still so well preserved. I have had a present of two tame Plovers and a Curlew. Alas! I found my pretty Curlew lying dead yesterday morning - he was so tame as to eat from my hand and was very handsome with the brightest eyes I ever saw. John Hughes and his wife are staying here Mrs H is a particularly nice woman, very clever and intelligent you would like her very much - I am profitting by Mr Hughes' instructions in sketching and I mean to surprise you by my performances in that way. Mrs [Wraughton?] has just sent me a large ugly Yucca to paint for her - I do not like the employment at all - you had some difficulty in getting your Church [?] when you were here last - if you want any person now, there is a Mr Thomas of [Painbeck?] a gentlemanlike small man who dined here the other day and who I believe is unemployed. I hope a letter from you is now on the road if not pray write when you can that you may return in good health and safely is the constant prayer of
Yrs ever most Truly

M.M.

23 Jny [18?]

Sir

It is I regret to say totally out of my power to give any assistance to the Parties mentioned in your letter accompanied by the inclosed statement.

Yours [Very Truly?]

W. Buckland

Oxford
March 22 [1824]

My dear Sir,

Miss Morland has this morning sent me some copies of her attempt to imitate the [Munich Game Piece?] It has all the spirit of the original but looks cold for want of a neutral tint. [Hole] I know is applied at Munich can you tell me whether it is laid on the paper before printing or after? if after do you know of what material it is composed. In short what is the Receipt for the wash, of to whom can they be sent to be properly tinted. My notion is that at Munich they generally tint them after printing, if so the same thing may be done in London to Miss Morland's but if it is necessary to tint the paper before printing it will be desirable to request Miss Morland's stone not be rubbed down till further orders and you will oblige me by sending a line to this effect to the printers.
Lord Compton informed me last week of your wishes to subscribe to Milles work of wh. I expect shortly to hear more I desired him to show you the Prospectus which is written by W Conybeare and which I hope you like - I am much obliged by your assistance in the [nomination?] of [Condier?] pray when I am to hear the result of my own nomination at the Linnean - if Strangeways is elected before April 1 have the goodness to desire notice to be sent to him at Earl of Ilchester, Melbury near Sherborne Dorset or at 31 Old Burlington St that he may have his [Hole} before he goes to [Missing paper] [Seale?] is now in Oxford and I think likely after another year to reside within 5 miles of this place. W. Conybeare is got nearly well again and gone to Hants. Have you yet got my specimens of Marble from [Missing paper] whose address I will thank you
[Missing paper] me and believe me
Ever Sincerely [Missing paper]

W. Buckland