Dear Father,

I don’t intend to give up the Descent, as I think I can stick to it however bad I am. I think it will be no use to stop Clowes send^g. proofs as I shall like to have a reserve by me, & if I sh^d. go abroad I might take several with me¹    The MS of notes 95 Chap II & 79 Ch. III are not sent— in the latter the printers seem in doubt as to a number. You might look up the reference perhaps, p 55 note 82

Comptes rendus des Séances ? sciences—it is thus in former edit.² I will return the proofs when done. I shall read them twice.

Thursday & yesterday were the two worst days I’ve had since March—and altho’ I had had a bad turn up of bile on Thursday morning I had another in the afternoon which was certainly the worst I have ever had—bile mucous & blood— The quantity which comes up is certainly on the increase. Except that I had to do so, I hardly know how I supported existence. As I moon about a good deal on these occasions in my room—for I ca’nt sit still, I was utterly fagged out & slept heavily— Today I’m a good deal better, tho’ I began with yellow bile before breakfast & feel very much ‘played out’. I’m getting awfully thin, as is to be expected. I suppose I shall be a little better now for a day or two, but I can’t say I expect anything from this new scheme of D^r. C’s.³

By the bye the ‘corals’ have come & I’m getting it bound.⁴

There is a mad cuckoo here who I suppose can’t get a mate— He is very untuneful & sings cuck cuck cuck sometimes 5 times before the ‘coo’—very staccato & not at all in good tune. Today he is singing cuckoo, both notes exceedingly staccato & quite ugly. He sings more than any other I ever heard & I heard him the other morning at 3 oclock going on with his cuck cuck cuck for ever so long.? Has’nt he failed in getting mated because he sings so badly.—

Mother’s housewife⁵ has come & looks very nice. The Pall Mall of last night refers to a modified childmurder amongst the Kalmuks, as they don’t take so much care of the female as of the male infants⁶

Yours affectly | G. H. Darwin