My dear Sir,

I received your letter when our latter rains were setting in,—a lingering but not a heavy season.¹ I was in consequence precluded from getting out to M^r Wilkie’s Apiary for the specimens of Bees you desired to have.² Could I have seen M^r Wilkie, I should have obtained what you wanted readily, but he has been and still continues absent in a distant parish. I now send you what may be acceptable until I am able completely to meet your wishes. There are in the box four workers and one drone. M^r March, a naturalist very well known to Sir William Hooker³ ,—from whom I procured these specimens, promises me a complete suite from the Queen downwards. He has been searching over his Farm in the Salt pond plain for our Meliponas, but without success.⁴ He intends to supply me with a joint of a tree containing the Sacklets,—when he finds a hive.

I am promised several things from Cuba.⁵ D^r Grundlach and Mons^r Felipe Poey are my correspondents.⁶ M^r. Poey is at this time bringing out a highly embellished work on Cuba.— Ballière of Soho Square, the English publisher.—⁷ I think the three Islands, Jamaica, Cuba and Haïti would furnish you with excellent illustrations for your Book, for to my Eyes, though things differ much in variety, I question much their difference in species.— Some things exceedingly common with us are absolutely rare in Cuba.— This morning brought me a letter from D^r Grundlach announcing that he had obtained in the district of Bayamo a specimen of the Turtur leucopterus, one of the commonest of our Doves both on the North and South sides of Jamaica. I observed in Cuba that its place was occupied by the Columba Carolinensis of Wilson, and I am hardly mistaken in saying the same prevalence of the one dove for the other occurs in Haïti.⁸ Our ground Lizard Ameiva dorsalis, so brilliant and beautiful with its blue tail grad-uating into green, and sides golden-streaked (v: Gosse’s Nat. Soj: Jamaica p 74)⁹ is certainly one and the same with the dull smoke coloured representation of it in Saint Domingo, and the Snakes though just occupying parallel places, are different in Colour;—the common hedge row snake of Haïti being as remarkably green as the similar reptile in place and habits is as jet black in Jamaica.

I thank Judge Wilkinson exceedingly for his kind opinion of me—¹⁰ I could wish I half merited the good things he has been pleased to say respecting me—

M^r Barrett of Trinity College Cambridge, who is occupied with the Government Geological Survey of the Island is doubtless known to you.¹¹ I expect when he has finished his survey, he will throw much light on our Earth-history.— He finds your Sections of the Andes supplying every peculiarity of our rocks and mountains, their dates and circumstances.¹²

With best regards believe me my dear Sir, | Your very obedient Servant | Richard Hill Charles Darwin Esq^re