From G. R. Waterhouse [c. June 1845]
British Museum
Monday
My dear Darwin
I have been hesitating for some time whether I should bother you with another note, but as I cannot be easy without doing so—here goes— When I wrote to you last I was at the Museum where I had not my notes about the Galapagos Insects & the moment I got home I found I had made an omission—that of not noticing two species of Water beetles— The one is the Tropisternus lateralis of [authors] an insect which is found in the United States, in Mexico & the some of the West Indian Islands— The other, also a Water-beetle, is a minute species of Hydrophilus which agrees very closely with a North American species— these little Hydrophili however are so extremely difficult to determine that I will not pretend to give a decided opinion upon them— The Tropisternus is a large & very distinct species of which there can be no doubt—1
I have added considerably to that foot note,2 and have been obliged to make a foot note of it, and much other matter, for my paper comes to 30 or 40 closely written pages & besides I wished as much as possible to keep such extraneous matter out of the body of the paper where it would only bother people who would consult it for the matter which it professes to contain— It is I hope improved & when printed of course I will forward a copy to you—and, if you do not disapprove of the additional parts I shall be much pleased—
I have in working out these insects taken the opportunity to describe several other of the more interesting insects contained in your collection—from Patagonia &c—3 The descriptions are quite prepared for press, but I am afraid of frightening Taylor & mean to let him print what he has first—
I am particularly pleased that you do not disapprove of the notions conveyed in my last
Believe me | Sincerely yours | Geo R Waterhouse
CD annotations
Footnotes
Bibliography
Journal of researches 2d ed.: Journal of researches into the natural history and geology of the countries visited during the voyage of HMS Beagle round the world, under the command of Capt. FitzRoy RN. 2d edition, corrected, with additions. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1845.
Summary
Discusses his paper on CD’s Galapagos beetles ["Coleopterous insects … in the Galapagos Islands", Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 16 (1845): 19–41] which he will forward when printed. Has drawn up descriptions of several other insects from CD’s collections.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-874
- From
- George Robert Waterhouse
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- British Museum
- Source of text
- DAR 181: 18
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 874,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-874.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 3