My Dear Sir,

I must send you a line to thank you for your “Ice & Water” which I am sure will interest me much;² though I believe we split a little about solid glacier ice and icebergs.—³ Thanks, also, for extract out of newspaper about Rooks & Crows;— I wish I dared trust it.⁴

I see in cutting pages half-an-hour ago, that you fulminate against the scepticism of scientific men.—⁵ You would not fulminate quite so much, if you had had so many wild-goose chases after facts stated by men not trained to scientific accuracy. I often vow to myself that I will utterly disregard every statement made by any one who has not shown the world he can observe accurately. I wish I had space to tell you a curious history, which I was fool enough to investigate on almost universal testimony of Beans growing this year upside down.—⁶ I firmly believe that accuracy is a most difficult quality to acquire.— I did not, however, intend to say all this.—

I very thoroughly enjoyed my half-hours talk at your pleasant house.—⁷ I have been corresponding with Mr Davidson on the Genealogy of Brachiopods; & he will some day, I believe, discuss subject as we wish.⁸ He has seen Salters table of species grouped like a tree.⁹ Mr D. is not at all a full believer in great changes of species which will make his work all the more valuable.—

I have also written to Mr Jamieson urging him to take up Glen Roy.¹⁰

My dear Sir | Yours very Sincerely | C. Darwin