Dr
Edmund Hoffmann
Canning - Nova Scotia - Canada
9-9-1987
Dear
Edmund,
Thank
you for your letter of 28/8/87 and pleased to hear that George Carter is still
buzzing about. I haven’t written to him for awhile, but will be doing so
shortly.
Yes,
I have been doing a bit of research and fossicking around over the years but I’m
afraid I can’t help you too much on the Muscovy. I can’t recall it turning
up in any of my material.
However,
I do have a fairly comprehensive collection of old books and Poultry papers
around and I will endeavour to find some useful material for you. I am
enclosing photocopies from some old books but don’t whether it will be much
help.
It
would appreciated to get a print out of your Muscovy Duck paper, for anything
in this area of study is of interest to me.
I
have been working on a series of booklets covering The Origin, Evolution,
History and Distribution of the Domestic Fowl and have published three parts
of it so far. I am getting a bit long in the tooth – 66 years old – so don’t
know whether I’ll get through it all. Believe me, it covers a lot of
territory when you consider it on and overall basis. I feel I have broken some
new ground by collecting a lot of material and putting in one place. It is
very satisfying, but at times frustrating and it’s very hard to finish up
with much positive evidence. Also some of these fellows go out and dig out
bones, then don’t do any follow up work on them. Being out here in Australia
makes it difficult as there aren’t very many doing work in this field and we
are away from the action. There are however a couple of fellows doing a bit of
fossicking around in the Pacific and Thailand. They are from New Zealand. I am
hoping to hear from them again shortly on any new information.
I
am sending you two of my booklets of the series, and under separate cover by
surface mail a book of 100 pages, also in the series on the Gallus Species –
Jungle Fowls with my compliments. The last mentioned will take awhile to reach
you but mailing costs here in Australia are very high for anything with a bit
of weigh, air mail.
I
have just started doing a book on the four breeds of chickens created in
Australia. It is our Bi-Centenary Year of British settlement next year, so I
am trying to finish it for 1988.
I
have quite a bit of material on the Distribution question of the chicken and a
few ideas of my own, but again very little positive evidence. Will get onto
that as soon as I can.
The
Pre-Columbian question regarding the chicken in the Americas doesn’t seem to
be settled, although George Carter tells me there could have been contact.
I
think you might have to make some contact with South America for your Muscovy
Duck project. However that would not be easy. Although I wrote to number of
Institution over there and only got response from one source. Can’t help you
at the moment re diffusion in the Pacific. The Dutch moved around between the
Dutch East Indies and west coast of South America, but I don’t think would
be much help.
It
appears that the Muscovy originated in South America but like most other
things not written record.
Regards
Dr Donking’s unpublished material nobody seems to want to publish the sort
of stuff we are about. I did all my own printing etc, otherwise I never would
have got off the ground. It’s a hard road but appears the only way to go. My
finished product is pretty rough as you will see, but at least it is in print.
Talked
to a fellow in Nova Scotia a little while back via amateur radio but can’t
remember where he lived. Don’t hear too many from your area.
I
will endeavour to find a bit of info for you but won’t guarantee anything.
All
for now. See you next time.
Regards