My Dear Sir,

I am very much obliged for your extremely kind letter.—¹ Permit me to state that in making out a list of persons to whom to send my Descent of Man, I entirely forgot your name, as well as that of two or three others, in regard to whom I now regret extremely that my memory failed me.² If you do not possess a copy, will you take the trouble to inform me, and I will immediately send one. Wallace’s suggestion, which you support, about separating Sexual Selection is a very good one, and I saw at the time the evil of the present union, but did not know how to avoid it.³ To remedy the evil would now consume more time than it is worth. I am much obliged for your promised present of the work on Blood-crystals, and will you thank very sincerely in anticipation Prof. Müller for his intended present.⁴ It is a never-failing regret to me that I read German so badly, but I am now too old and have too poor a capacity for languages to improve. I shall be particularly glad to see your paper on the external ear, as this will be very useful for any future corrected edition of my book.⁵ I was quite unaware of the inexplicable fact of the deficient ear-lap in negroes. Have not hedgehogs ears very like those of man in shape; I was told so lately, but have had no opportunity of looking at one?⁶ With respect to guinea pigs I ought to have said that there once existed a breed in Germany with dependent ears; for though I cannot remember my authority, I feel sure that it was trustworthy.⁷

Pray believe me | My dear Sir | Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

I did not care at all about the Review in the Times, for it was obviously not written by a scientific man; I do not know who was the author.⁸