1859] GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 505 



whole had first been carefully written out, and abstracted 

 afterwards. I look at it as morally certain that it must include 

 much error in some of its general views. I will just run over 

 a few points in your note, but do not trouble yourself to re- 

 ply without you have something important to say. . . . 



... I should like to know whether the case of Endemic 

 bats in islands struck you ; it has me especially ; perhaps too 

 strongly. 



With hearty thanks, ever yours, 



C. Darwin. 



P. S. You cannot tell what a relief it has been. to me your 

 looking over this chapter, as I felt very shaky on it. 



I shall to-morrow finish my last chapter (except a recapitu- 

 lation) on Affinities, Homologies, Embryology, &c., and the 

 facts seem to me to come out very strong for mutability of 

 species. 



I have been much interested in working out the chapter. 



I shall now, thank God, begin looking over the old first 

 chapters for press. 



But my health is now so very poor, that even this will take V 

 me long. 



C. Darwin to IV. D. Fox. 



Down [March] 24th [1859]. 



My dear Fox, — It was very good of you to write to me 

 in the midst of all your troubles, though you seem to have 

 got over some of them, in the recovery of your wife's and 

 your own health. I had not heard lately of your mother's 

 health, and am sorry to hear so poor an account. But as 

 she does not suffer much, that is the great thing ; for mere 

 life I do not think is much valued by the old. What a time 

 you must have had of it, when you had to go backwards and 

 forwards. 



We are all pretty well, and our eldest daughter is improv- 

 ing. I can see daylight through my work, and am now finally 

 23 



