Darwin Correspondence Project

Down Bromley Kent

Wednesday

My dear Sir

I am very much obliged to your kindness in having sent me the enclosed paper. As it is chiefly directed against my views, it does not become me to make any remarks on what I think of its value. I must, however, protest against several quotations, which anyone wd suppose were from my writings, but which appear to be extracted from some Indian Review.— I may be permitted also to protest against the statement at p. 3, which is absolutely the contrary to what I have imagined & stated in many places in my writings to have been the case.—

I do not believe Mr C. has ever taken the trouble to read my Book or even my own abstract in my Journal: if he has, he has overlooked all my chief data & gives as new in his paper, what he might have found in my work.

As I do not treat of the zoology of coralls, I make free to urge you, before his Paper is published, to get some zoologist to skim it over, as his errors are very great & would be discreditable to any scientific publication to include.— I have marked a few places with pencil for your inspection: I have made this note more critical than I intended, but I hope you will excuse me.

With my renewed thanks | Believe me | Yours sincerely | C. Darwin

Lieut Nelson R. J. has published a theory in Geolog. Trans vol 5. p. 103 on Bermuda, something like this, of Lieut Christophers.