My dear Sir

If you think there is nothing unusual or improper in the following request, will you be so kind as to lay it before the Council of the Pal^l.. Soc^y.—namely for the loan for the use of the Ray. Soc^y.— of the woodcut Fig I, used at p. 10 of my Paper on the Lepadidæ.¹ I meant to have made this application some weeks since & by an unfortunate oversight quite forgot it.— If the Council does not meet pretty soon, (as I shall have to go to press in at most a fortnight) and secondly if you think the Council will lend the cut to me, would you venture to lend it on your own responsibility, on the understanding that I would procure another block, if the loan was not approved of.— If you can lend it, or if it can be lent, will you kindly direct it to be sent to C. Darwin care of G. Snow Nag’s Head Borough.

I apologise for this trouble, but I thought it a pity that the Ray Soc.^y sh^d be put to any useless expence, & I know that you are interested in the Ray Society—²

Yours very truly | C. Darwin