Horses

Lankester thanks Ewart for the proof of his 'horse paper' and reports that he is setting up a complete skeleton of a Przewalski's horse from Woburn. He asks Ewart to tell Mr Linton to send the Roman horse to him at the British Museum.

The year is not written on the letter.

Lankester presses Ewart to reply to his letters and send him his paper on the embryonic development of the horse. He hopes to be able to send Ewart his account of the new fluid implements from below the red clay of Suffolk.

The year is not written on the letter.

Lönnberg states that he has at last been able to begin an investigation into what he believes to be the oldest and least mixed horse-type in Sweden, the 'shogs-russ' ('forest horse'), and provides some information about it. He asks for Ewart's opinion on whether he agrees that it is more likely to have the blood of steppe horses than any other kind.

Lönnberg thanks Ewart and his wife for their hospitality to him during his recent visit and states that he is sending Ewart some papers on veterbrates which might be of interest to him. He describes a horse skull which has been dug up in Stockholm at the site of the Battle of Brunkeberg, fought between Denmark and Sweden in 1471.

MacBride thanks Ewart for his paper on the development of the horse, and hopes to read the other parts when they come out. He has been asked by Nature to write the obituary for Arthur Darbishire, and asks Ewart for details concerning his regiment and the circumstances of his death.

Letter is unsigned.

MacBride thanks Ewart for his telegram with the details he needed about Darbishire for his obituary, which he has sent to Nature. He is delighted with Ewart's work on the embryology of the horse, and believes that 'it is only by slow painstaking work of this kind that a real science of Comparative Embryology will ever be built up.' He is glad that Ewart gives no countenance to the 'crook theories' about the layers of the embryo.

The letter is undated.

Sexton encloses a photograph (not present) of a striped mouse dun pony and recalls seeing an unusually striped bay horse. She also mentions visiting Ewart to see his hybrids some years ago with the agricultural college.

Wrench explains that at his stud farm they have 15 Connemara pony mares (nine of which are in foal to an Arab and two to a Connemara stallion) and two Erris ponies (in foal to a thoroughbred). This season they plan to mix the pairings and the results of the couplings will be carefully monitored. He believes that the Arab is an exceptional horse, bettered only by the winner at the Paris Exhibition. He adds that Wilfred Blunt's pony that competed against it looked quite plain in comparison.

Parry writes on behalf of Arthur James Balfour regarding a sum of £500 that is being made available to him to help with his scientific work on the development of the horse.

Cecil recommends a saddle manufacturer to Ewart and provides details about a horse, 'Jean', who is travelling up to Edinburgh to stay with the Ewarts.