Dear Balfour,

I shall have real pleasure in proposing you for the Royal Soc. But you must give me your xtian names in full. “Title or designation”—“Profession or Trade”—“usual place of residence”.¹

Also a list, written clearly, of all your chief publications. The Soc appends a note asking for copies of all the candidate’s books and publications. to be ultimately returned to him.

It is a most troublesome rule that about members of council not signing certificates, as I should naturally apply in your case to Huxley & Hooker.² Will you be so good as to get from M. Foster a list of the present members of council.³ Also suggest to me the names of any men not on the council to whom I shall send the certificate. Three members personally known to you & three others who need not necessarily know you personally must sign the certificate. Id est 6 altogether, & I believe there is no advantage in getting more. I suppose I had better send it to L^d Rayleigh though not a naturalist.⁴

Dear Balfour | yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin

Since the above was written it has occurred to me that it w^d be the best plan to send you the certificate to fill up & then there will be less liability to error.— You can return it with the other desired information about the members of Council & whoever you sh^d. like to sign it.

I was very much interested the other day by reading your idea on the origins of our limbs at 4 points in the lateral fins.—⁵

C.D.