Sent W.H.L. Duckworth to K. Pearson, 2nd March 1899.
2 Mar 1899
Description:

‘Dear Sir,

Very many thanks for your very valuable paper on the reconstruction of stature of Prehistoric Races. Professor Macalister was speaking of it a few days ago and I have since been very anxious to see a copy. I should like to take this opportunity of mentioning that I have just received from Professor Windle a communication about some researches in which you are associated with him: as far as this school is concerned I will do as much as I can to aid in collecting data, though the bodies are so thoroughly dissected now that it is hard to ensure getting the limb bones entire and in a suitable condition for measuring: but I have no doubt something can be done in this matter to overcome the difficulty.

With renewed thanks.

Believe me,

Yours truly,

W.L.H. Duckworth.’

Sent W.L.H. Duckworth to K. Pearson, 26th June 1912.
26 Jun 1912
Description:

‘Dear Professor Pearson,

Herewith I return your list of specimens with such replies as I can give to your questions. The two orang-utans present great difficulties, and I have to assume that they belong to the “large” variety or “race”, or one of the larger varieties. You probably know that Selenka (who had had great opportunities for observing them in Borneo) distinguished several “racial” or local varieties. Apart from his assumption (& what it entails) I have but one character to guide me.

You may be interested to know that in working over some material from Crete, I find that I have two tibiae of adult individuals [note: ‘i.e. both bones are of the same side so that two skeletons are represented’] of pygmy stature. One bone is 283 mm long, the other 287. You will see that they are comparable to the Schwigersbild bones described by Kolemann[?] & used by you in your paper on the reconstruction of stature. My specimens are from a Neolithic rock-shelter but I do not think the evidence sufficient to justify the conclusion that a “pygmy race” existed in Crete, say 4000 B.C. I incline to the view that we cannot exclude the possibility that these individuals are at the lower end of the series, leading from them up to the average & so on. But with only two or three instances, one cannot make use of your tests that I am aware of. I cannot help thinking that Kollmann was hasty in proclaiming his views as to Neolithic pygmies in Central Europe. However the Cretan bones are here in evidence for what it is worth.

I am, yours sincerely,

W.L.H. Duckworth.’

Sent W.L.H. Duckworth to K. Pearson, 30th March 1912.
30 Mar 1912
Description:

‘Dear Prof. Pearson,

The following crania of large anthropoid apes would be at your disposition for study here:

[list of orang-utan, chimpanzee and gorilla specimens at anthropological lab, zoological lab and Duckworth’s ‘private collection’ – the latter includees 5 orang-utan, 2 chimps and 6 gorillas]

Please note that the above figures are approximate: there may be more specimens, but I do not think there are less than the numbers given. Today the laboratory is in the hands of workmen, or I would provide an exact figure...

...’

Sent W.L.H. Duckworth to K. Pearson, [May 1916].
May 1916
Description:

[Expresses thanks for P’s enquiries re: accident. Lists casts of femora at Cambridge according to his memory of the matter, inc. ‘Neanderthal’, ‘Tilbury’, ‘Cro-Magnon’, discusses identity of these]

‘...

The questions of femora & their minute details are likely to be raised by the finding at Ipswich by Reid Moir of a fragment of a human femur with implements said to be Monsterian. The bone happens to have some resemblance of the Sky[?] cast. I wonder why these odd finds so often “happen” to present these peculiarities.

...’