Dear Sir

I have had a most unfortunate & extraordinary accident with your shell.— I sent it by Post in a strong box to M^r Gwyn Jeffreys to be named, & heard 2 days afterwards that he had started for Italy.—¹ I then wrote to the servant in charge of his house to open the parcel (within which was a cover stamped & directed to myself) & return it to me.— This servant I suppose opened the box, & dropped the glass tube on a stone floor, & perhaps put his foot on it, for the tube & shell were broken into quite small fragments. These were returned to me with no explanation; the box being quite uninjured. I suppose that you w^d not care for the fragments to be returned or the Dytiscus; but if you wish for them they shall be returned.²

I am very sorry, but it has not been my fault.—

It seems to me almost useless to send the fragments of the shell to the B. Museum to be named, more especially as the umbo has been lost.³ It is many years since I have looked at a fresh-water shells, but I sh^d. have said that this shell was Cyclas cornea. Is Sphærium corneum a synonym of Cyclas? Perhaps you c^d. tell by looking to M^r G. Jeffreys book.⁴ If so may we venture to call it so, or shall I put an (?) to the name.?—

As soon as I hear from you I will send my letter to Nature.⁵ Do you take in Nature or shall I send you a copy?—

Dear Sir | with much regret | Yours faithfully | Ch. Darwin