Dear Sir

I am very much obliged for your courteous and kind note.¹ The fact which you communicate is quite new to me, and as I was laughed at about the tips to human ears, I sh^d. like to publish in Nature sometime your fact.² But I must first consult Eschricht & see whether he notices this fact in his curious paper on the Lanugo on human Embryos;³ and secondly I ought to look to monkeys & other animals which have tufted ears and observe how the hair grows— This I shall not be able to do for some months, as I shall not be in London until the autumn so as to go to the Zoolog. Gardens.⁴

But in order that I may not hereafter throw away time will you be so kind as to inform me whether I may publish your observation if on further search it seems desirable— If you give your permission, may I say that “M^r. Wallis on carefully examining the ears of an infant, observed that the hairs were directed &c & &c”.

Or would you prefer my say that “a gentleman on carefully examining &c. &”.

Will you be so good as to send me a line in answer, and I remain | Dear Sir | Yours faithfully | Charles Darwin.