I 



Tra unit ion Stiulies 66 



all theM thingH, will you no in for it, and allow me to join I Homa is • rMitlaM iB*n, an 

 Is hiR iDovementH, and could l>e induced to go to and fro. I am iturc I could — if I ooaid 



ire a dozen Kemiccn, at which only our two mlvea and Home were together. (Others wight 

 be in tho room, if you likod, but, I would say, not present within reach.) 



It is impossihlp, I soe, to prearranKo exfjerirnenta. One must take what c<(n«"t, and H<»ize 

 upon momentary mnanR of checking niHults. Honui enconrmjeH going undor the tahle and peering 

 evprywhcrt' (I did so and held hi.s feet while the table moved), ho I am sure you ne*-*! not feel 

 like a spoctiitor in the boxo.s while a conjuror is performing on the stage. He and Mi"-* F. jimt 

 want civil treatment and a show of inUirest. Of course, while one is civil an' :, it is 



jierfectly easy to Ixs wary. Pray tell me what you think of tlie proposal in i i''tt<?r. 



Very sincerely yours, F. Oaltox. 



42 Uutlunci Oiitf, ,S.U . May Jtl, '~r>. 



My dkak Darwin I feel perfectly ashamed to apply again to you in my recurring rabbit 

 diU'ioulty', which is this: I have (after some kwses) got .3 does and a buck of the stock you so 

 kindly took charge of oroes-circulated, and so have means of protracting the experiments to 

 another generation of bi-eeding from them and seeing if their young show any signs of nion- 

 grelism. They do not thrive over well in Ijondon, also we could not keep them during summer 

 at our house, because the servants in charge when we leave could not be troubletl with them. 

 Is it pos.sible that any of your men could take charge of them and let them breed, seeing 

 if the young show any colour, then killing the litter and breeding afresh, 2 or 3 times overl 

 I would most gladly pay even a large sum — many times the cost of their maintenance — to any 

 man who would really attend to them. Can you help me? 



As n>gards spiritualism nothing new that I have seen since I wrote, for Home and Miss F. 

 have b«>en both ab.sent. I wrote a letter of overtures to Home when I enclose<i yours, but got 

 no reply. 1 have kept up communication with Crookes, and am witisfied that he has the inves- 

 tigation thoroughl}' in hand, and delays publication on grounds of desiring a little more com- 

 [pleteness of data. He is a most industrious taker of notes. 



How \ery kind your letter was about Home. It grieved me much that you had to speak 

 in such terms about your health. Ever sincerely yours, Francis Galton. 



Three days later, to a letter arranging to lunch at Down, Galton adds the 

 postscript: "The s|)iritualists have given me up, I fear. I can't get another 

 invite to a stance." Darwin evidently wrote about this time to Galton 

 lasking the latter to introduce a friend to the spiritualistic fraternity, for on 

 June 7, 1872. Galton writes from Rutland Gate: 



My dear Darwin I did not reply yesterday about the Spiritualists as I expected that 

 day and this to have heard from Mr Home, and CJrookes is out of Town. It will give me great 

 pleasure to do what I can for X.Y. but I rather doubt whether I shall have power to do much. 

 I can't mj'self get to the.se seances as often as I like — indeed I have had no opportunity for a 

 long time past. The fact is, that first class mediums are very few in number and are always 

 acting. Also that Cixwkes and others are working their very best at the subject and entertain 

 a full belief that they will he able to esUblish something in)portant and la.stly what, I see, 

 is a real difficulty with them, tho introduction of a stranger always disturlw the seances. I say 

 all this to excuse me in your eyes, if I don't fulfil your wishes us you would like; but I will do 

 my best and write — -whenever I have anything to say to X.Y. as you propose. 



The per.son most likely to help would, I think, be Lord L. 



I wonder if I have oftended Home by my last letter to him — he has never replied and I hear 

 incidentally there is to be an important seance this very night! Alas for me! Ever yours 

 sincerely, Francis Galton. 



The last letter to Darwin concerning Home was in November of 1872. 

 In the concluding paragraph of a further communication regarding the nose- 

 stroking family Galton writes : 



' This refers to a continuation of the 'Pangenesis experiments after the publication of th« 

 memoir of \)<~\ to tx' discussed later. 



r o II * 



