Dear Sir

You may recollect my name as a correspondent many years since when you were engaged with the Cirripedes—¹

A missionary from the S Seas has sent me a shell (Conus geographus) the animal of wh. he says is poisonous to such a degree as to have killed to his knowledge two persons &c²

Further, another missionary Rev W Gill in a volume “Life in the Southern Seas” repeats in substance the same testimony.³ Could you inform me if these testimonies has been corroborated by yourself or other scientific observers as I cannot but think it is an error— We know that many mollusks & other marine animals do under certain conditions poison when eaten, but in the case referred to mere contact always more or less poisons according to my informant

I should feel obliged if you c^d. give me your opinion

I am Dear Sir | Yours truly | Robert Damon