Dear Romanes

Sir ..... Fayrer supplied me with cobra poison.— It is very precious, but I have no doubt that by explaining your motive he w^d. give you a little, & your best plan of applying w^d. be through Lauder Brunton.—²

Your letter has made me as proud & conceited as ten peacocks.³ I am inclined to think that writing against the bigots about vivisection is as hopeless as stemming a torrent with a reed. Frank who has just come here & who sputters with indignation on subject takes an opposite line, & perhaps he is right; anyhow he had the best of an argument with me on the subject.—⁴ By the way I think F. has made a fine discovery, but I won’t say what for fear it sh^d. break down.—⁵ It seems to me that physiologists are now in the position of a persecuted religious sect, & they must grin & bear the persecution,, however cruel & unjust, as well as they can.—

I shall be very glad to hear what you think about Häckel: perhaps I have shamefully misrepresented him.⁶ About the other subject (never mentioned to a human being) I shall be glad to hear, but I fear that I am a wretched bigot on the subject.⁷

Yours very sincerely | Charles Darwin

The rest has done me much good— We return on the 10^th—first visiting the Hawkshaws.⁸

My daughter is certainly better a good deal but not up to her former poor standard.⁹