Dear Sir

I much regret that we had not the pleasure of seeing each other at Oxford. I did not happen to hear that you were there otherwise I would have exerted myself to have found you out; but I did not attend the sections regularly & the state of my health at all times compels me to live a very quiet life. There were others at Oxford whom to my regret, I missed seeing besides yourself—

Pray by all means keep any duplicates of my parasitic insects for your own collection. Where there are not duplicates in my own collection; if you positively know that the B. Museum has the same species, pray keep my specimens— I consider that I did not promise duplicates to the Museum.¹

M^r. Lyell procured at my request for you some pediculi, from the Negros in N America;² perhaps they have already been forwarded to you but in the Autumn when M^r Lyell returns, I will make enquiries.³

Pray believe me, | dear Sir. | Yours very faithfully. | C. Darwin. To. A. Denny⁴ Esq^re.