Dear Bowman

On the great principle that a man who has done one a kindness will probably do another I want to beg a little information from you.² Sir C. Bell says that when an infant screams violently, it closes the orbicular muscles so as to compress the eyes & prevent them becoming gorged with blood owing to the retarded circulation. He states that on opening the eyelids of a screaming infant he has actually seen the tissues become gorged with blood. He explains on this same principle of protection the firm closing of the eyes in violent coughing, sneezing &c.³ Now as I have not elsewhere met with a similar remark I sh^d esteem it a great favour if you w^d inform me whether you have observed any thing of the kind, & believe in Sir C. Bell’s statement.

Expression in animals & men is at present a hobby of mine & I think I shall probably utilize my notes made during several years.⁴ This leads me to ask one other question; when any one (not short-sighted) looks intently at a distant object he generally contracts his eyebrows & the muscles going to the upper lip, which raises the cheeks & thus apparently compresses the eye slightly. Now do you suppose that these movements serve merely to contract the aperture of the eye & protect it from superfluous light, or does slight pressure aid the distinct vision of a distant object?

After long delay from ill-health I have at last printed $\frac{3}{4}$ of a book, including a chapter on inheritance, on which subject you formerly so much aided me.⁵

I hope you will forgive me for troubling you, & pray believe me yours very sincerely | Charles Darwin