My dear Romanes.

Do just what you like in both cases. The notes on insects were made about 40 years ago; & I have just recollected that I used them in drawing up a long chapter on instinct, written 4 or 5 years before the “Origin” was published. I send the two pages out of this Chapter which please return. I wish it had occurred to me to offer you this chapter of 110 pages to read; for in skimming over parts of it, I find abundant references to many curious facts. It is I presume now quite too late to be of any use to you—²

Here is a new case about Baby-language: Frank took the Baby in a train & called the engine a ‘puff puff’ & this was altered by him into “boo boo”. Now every vehicle, even a wheel barrow, is called a ‘boo boo’, as is a chimney on a house whether smoking or not, & a house itself. So again is a fire whether burning or merely laid to be lighted.³

Rather more onions of the last lot have died, apparently owing to the wet weather, but still the number of deaths is few.⁴

One Pea has sent up a miserably aborted shoot, apparently consisting of a half plumule.⁵

Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin