My dear Sir

You will have heard that Ray Lankester who has done such excellent work in embryology has been black-balled at Linn. Soc.² I hear from one of the black-ballers that this has been done to punish the Council for intending to remit his fees.³ Now this seems to me a most flagitious proceeding. I know not & care not whether the Council intended to act rightly or wrongly. The power has been given them & it is wicked to cast a stigma for life on a rising naturalist by black-balling him to punish the Council.— Those who think the Council have done wrong could have called a special meeting, or blamed it at the Anniversary,⁴ & taken away the power of ever again remitting fees.— I have consulted many men & all as yet have agreed with me. I have therefore most willingly consented to second (Huxley proposing him) M^r Lankester for a second time (I knew nothing of the first proposal & he is not my personal friend, only an acquaintance) & he will be balloted for on Feb 3^d at 8 oclock.⁵

If you sh^d. take the same view as I do, I earnestly hope that you will attend & endeavour to influence other members. It seems to me a case (& this is my sole motive) when one man of science ought to aid another, & I sh^d be very sorry to see so disgraceful a stigma rest on the Linn. Soc.—

My dear Sir | Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

I laid case before a high Government Official to see how he w^d view it, & he used even stronger language than I have done.—⁶

Pray forgive this ill-expressed note, as I write in a forced hurry.—