My dear Farrer

I am sorry to trouble you again, but I enclose envelope ready addressed to give as little trouble as possible.— I am quite perplexed by the extension of the excavations. You will remember which was the first room that was cleared (with a concrete floor, & tesseræ over a part) & will you be so kind as mark this room in both plans in pencil as “First Room,” & return the plans to me, & I will afterwards return them to you.¹ You had 2 trenches dug for me; one I call in my notes “the upper or N.W. trench” & the other “the lower or S.W. trench”— “Upper” & “lower” referring, I suppose, to the slope of the field.² The upper trench was close to the upper bounding wall of the “first room,” which seems to have been the atrium.—

If you can remember places, will you put pencil crosses (X) where trenches were dug.

I am astonished at my own perplexity about the plans— The points of the compass do not agree in the 2 plans.—³

Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

The fir-leaves are drawn by the worms into the mouths of their burrows, & if you will look, you will see that they are all drawn in by the basal end which shows more sense or instinct, in worms than I sh^d have given them credit for.—⁴

Many thanks for address of M^r Caird & for promise of castings.⁵

(Morning 8^th)⁶

P.S. Elizabeth Wedgwood was in exactly the same state yesterday as on previous days.⁷ She suffers a good deal from her breathing, but is wonderfully patient. She does not eat nearly enough, & I think if she does not rally soon, she must sink. If it is to be, I wish it may be soon for her sake.—

Horace & Ida were in wonderfully good spirits when here;⁸ it did one good to see people so happy & how marvellously strong Ida is. She could ascend Mont Blanc!