My dear William

I enclose Weiss receipt sent here by mistake, I suppose, & which you ought to have ticketed & kept safe.—²

Georgy has been home for 4 or 5 days, as he had an ulcerated throat. Yesterday he was in great triumph for he caught 7 specimens of a large clear-winged Sphinx in the big wood, & he got some other good things. I have now five Entomological sons! for Skimp has begun with great energy to collect Beetles.—³

I get on most slowly with proof-sheets & shall not have finished at soonest in 10 weeks; confound the proofs. We are got into a nice hobble about horses: Parslow & Jones went to London & bought a fine horse for 40 guineas & now we all suspect, that it was a regular conspiracy & that the horse was regularly unsound: anyhow he is now lame in two legs. It is lucky that we have not parted with the black. It is a horrid bore & is, I fear, 30£ lost.—⁴ This morning we had present from M^r Innes of charming little Terrier puppy.

I saw a week or two ago in Times the death of M^r Wharton, 59 years old, at Mitcham.—⁵ Catherine left us 2 days ago:⁶ we said nothing about you, for she does not start till the 20^th & then travels slowly to N. of Scotland; so that you would have had to have returned almost as soon as you got there. So you can go round by Rugby, if you think fit.—⁷

I am glad you went to Gamblingay: I remember one most pleasant excursion there; but the common has all been enclosed since my day.⁸

I do not improve a bit at Billiards & at Moor Park, could not play at all.—

I shall be very anxious to hear how you get on at the Examination⁹ & tell us as soon as you know when you will be here for your fortnight before the Lakes.—

My dear fellow | Your affect | C. Darwin