From Francis Darwin [after 2 October 1876]¹

Pantlludw

My dearest Father,

I am very sorry the corrections were such a grind, but anyhow the worst is done now² Couldn’t I do revises? or have you nothing else to do. I came to the conclusion that the Polecat & Ferret paper was not worth giving with the other.³ I will send you the monkey paper back as I want to start my teasel⁴ & I think it (the monkeys) is much better it should be put in Nature as a letter.⁵ I like translating, as it makes one do carefully what one would naturally skim. I almost doubt the crossing paper is worth publishing but I will polish it up as I have done the grind of translating it—⁶

Please thank dear Mother for her letter, M^rs Ruck⁷ tells me often she likes to come, if she can, which is very good of her

I am glad you are off to S’hampton⁸

Love to everybody | Yrs dear Father | affec | Frank Darwin

I wrote to Wiesner⁹

Footnotes

1

The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to Francis Darwin, 2 October [1876].

2

Francis sent corrections to the proof-sheets for the final chapter of Cross and self fertilisation (see letter to Francis Darwin, 2 October [1876]).

3

CD had suggested that Francis translate several German articles by Johann von Fischer (see letter to Francis Darwin, 2 October [1876] and n. 4).

4

For Francis’s work on the teasel, see the letter from Francis Darwin, [1 June 1876] and n. 2.

5

CD discussed the paper on monkeys (Fischer 1876a) in his article in Nature, 2 November 1876, pp. 18–19, ‘Sexual selection in relation to monkeys’; see letter to Francis Darwin, 2 October [1876].

6

The paper on crossing experiments with rats was Fischer 1874b.

7

Mary Anne Ruck. Emma Darwin’s letter has not been found.

8

CD stayed at William Erasmus Darwin’s house in Southampton from 7 to 19 October (‘Journal’ (Appendix II)).

9

Julius von Wiesner (see letter to Francis Darwin, 2 October [1876] and n. 7).