My dear Sir.

Unwellness has prevented me answering you by Return of Post.—

I like the engravings, but they certainly have, as you remark, rather a rough unfinished look.— The alterations now required are trifling, except I fear in fig. 8. (a).— I return you your drawings, as they may be useful to you, but I must see them again, when I have a corrected proof plate.

Please to observe that the Plate must be divided, by faint lines, perhaps dotted w^d look best, something as I have done; I have now added the figures & letters: I presume the Plate is No^r. II.— Please carefully preserve this rough proof to be sent to me with the final proof.—

The woodcuts will do; but I want the lower part of the one returned to be cut off, as I have done but the shading must be a little fined off;, to put the type closer to the basal valves.—

Do, I earnestly beg you make rapid progress; since I wrote last, I have had a letter from M^r Fitch & he tells me he shall in a short time demand back his specimens; I suppose I have written him half-a-dozen letters of apology.—

Please to observe that I promised M^r. Fitch & others that I would take especial care of their specimens; & therefore I must desire you not to send any more specimens in parcels to me; but whenever you can tell me, that all the other Plates, (except that of Loricula, which can come last & afterwards) are ready I will at once send my servant in the tax-cart¹ to your house for the Proofs & all the specimens; I will then carefully compare them here, & bring or send up the Proofs to you again.

I am sorry to give you the trouble of writing, but I must beg you to send me one line to say whether you have returned the Loricula to M^r Wetherell;² & 2^d. whether you received some six weeks ago a single minute valve—(in letter Registered) of Pollicipes gracilis, for an inside View on wood, if you could not get in a Plate.³ 3^d Can you not give me some rough notion when the other Plates will be done, to know it will be great assistance to me: do try & make up for the delay & annoyment I have suffered.

Your’s sincerely | C. Darwin