254 LONDON AND gAMBRIDGE. ^TAT. 28. [1837. 



would say a word. It is just striking twelve o'clock; so I 

 will wish you a very good night. 



My dear Jenyns, 



Yours most truly, 



C. Darwin. 



[A few weeks later the plan seems to have been matured, 

 and the idea of seeking Government aid to have been 

 adopted.] 



C. Darwin to J. S. Henslow. 



36 Great Marlborough Street, 



[i8th May, 1837]. 



My dear Henslow, 



I was very glad to receive your letter. I wanted much to 

 hear how you were getting on with your manifold labours. 

 Indeed I do not wonder your head began to ache ; it is al- 

 most a wonder you have any head left. Your account of the 

 Gamlingay expedition was cruelly tempting, but I cannot 

 anyhow leave London. I wanted to pay my good, dear peo- 

 ple at Shrewsbury a visit of a few days, but I found I could 

 not manage it ; at present I am waiting for the signatures of 

 the Duke of Somerset, as President of the Linnean, and of 

 Lord Derby and Whewell, to a statement of the value of my 

 collection; the instant I get this I shall apply to Government 

 for assistance in engraving, and so publish the 'Zoology' on 

 some uniform plan. It is quite ridiculous the time any 

 operation requires which depends on many people. 



I have been working very steadily, but have only got two- 

 thirds through the Journal part alone, I find, though I re- 

 main daily many hours at work, the progress is very slow : it 

 is an awful thing to say to oneself, every fool and every 

 clever man in England, if he chooses, may make as many ill- 

 natured remarks as he likes on this unfortunate sentence. 

 ***** 



[In August he writes to Henslow to announce the success 

 of the scheme for the publication of the ' Zoology of the 



