My dear Sir

I trouble you with one line to say that amongst the few remaining & on the cut up & previously (imperfectly as it turns out) examined specimens, I have found plenty of Male Alcippes,—indeed hardly any without some: so that I am in no want of more specimens at present,¹ I sh^d., however, be very glad to have hereafter some few to distribute in a dry state on the continent, when I return the specimens in my possession: & indeed I sh^d. like a few more to examine the form of cavity, though I fancy I have made out this pretty well. You may imagine how peculiar the appearance of the male Alcippe is, when I mention, that, though having had experience how diverse an aspect the males put on, I now know that I looked at a Male, during the first day or two, & never dreamed it was a cirripede!² I suppose after all you have done in the anatomy of the Mollusca no structure seems very difficult to you to make out,³ but I have found Alcippe one of the most difficult creatures, I have ever attempted to make out.⁴

Yours very truly | C. Darwin