Corre^tputulemr tinlk C/iarlcM Dnnoin 175 



42, Rutland Gate, Noe. 7/72. 



Mv UKAK Dahwin, Accept very bext thanlcH for Kxprettion which I have been devouring; 



you will, I mil mw', mccivo niimbnrli'MH lettflin of hints corrolMiriitive of the |K>iiit ike; 



even I eould iiiid will iMin<l soino. Miit I write s|)eciHlly to siiy thiii if you can; to s^ lore 



printed cireuliirs of tjuiTics, I tan di.sj)oMo of three this very nioiitli infwt excelli-iiliy fwr you. 

 One hy im expedition up the Congo, nnother l>y a man from the Ziinziluir nide into Africa and 

 a third l>y ii very intelli;;ent (lermtin (Knglisli Hpeaking) head of a misHioiiary colktge on hiH way 

 to my old <-ountry in Africa. 



Would you have a short note Hent mo, — pray do not write yourself — alMiut the rabbitii. 



Ever sincerely yours, Fkaxcis Oalton. 



V.H. You do not I think mention in Kxpremion what I thought wan univeraal among 

 bhililx'rinf; children (wlicn not tryinjj to sex? if harm or help was eoniini; out of the corner of 

 OTie eye) of pressing the knuckles against the eyelnills; thereby, reinforcing the orbiculariN. 



What a curious custom hand-Hliaking is and huw rapidly savages take tu it in their inter- 

 course with Kurop'anw. 



I have a |uimphlet of yours to st>nd back. 



Down, Hkckbnham, Kkst. AW Mth. [1«72t| 



My dkar (1 ALTON, 1 was going in a day or two to have writUin to you about the rabbits. 



Those which you saw when here (the l«.st hit) and whicli were then in the transition mottled 

 condition have now all got their perfect coats, and arc i>fr/ectly true in charwUr. They are now 

 ready to breed, or soon will Ix); do you want one more generation? If the next one is as true 

 ps all the others, it seems to me quite superfluous to go on trying. 



Many thanks for your note and offer to send out the iiuerios; but my career is so nearly 

 clastyl, that I do not think it worth while. What little more I can do, shall he chiefly new 

 work. 



1 ought to have thought of crying children rubbing their eyes with their knuckles; but I 

 did not tliink of it, and cannot explain it. As far as my memory serves, they do not do so 

 whilst roaring, in which case compression would be of use. I think it is at the close of a crying 

 fit, as if they wished to stop their eyes crying, or prolmbly to relieve the irritation from the 

 .salt tt«r8. I wish 1 knew more aljout the knuckles and crying. 



I am rejoiced that your sister is recovering so well : when you next see her pray give her 

 my very kindest remembrances. My dear Galton, Yours very sincerely, Ch. Darwin. 



Wliat a tremendous stir-up your excellent article on 'Prayer' has made in England and 

 America. 



12, Rutland Gatk, Nov. 16/72. 



My dear Dakwin, I have left your kind letter of ten days since unanswered, having some 

 possible rabbit combinations in view wliich have ende<l in nothing. The ex|)oriments have, I 

 quite agree, In-en carried on long enough. It would be a crowning point to them if your groom 

 could get a prize at souje show for those he has reared up so carefully, as it would attest their 

 purity of breed. There is such a show, I lx?lieve, imp<'n<ling at the tVystal Palace. Enclosed 

 is a jE2 cheque. Will you kindly tip him with it for me, assuring him how indebted 1 feel for 

 his attentitm. I don't know how I can repay you'. 



Would it not be worth while before abandoning the whole affair to get a litter from each 



of the available does, not with a view of keeping the young, but simply of seeing whether any 



are born mottled, and if not of then killing them? The reason being, that the mixed breed are 



very apt to take wholly after one or the other ancestor, and one might get no other evidence 



of impure l)lood than a rare instance of a decide<lly mo!igrel birth. 



However 1 leave this quite in your hand.s, knowing that it means -5 or 6 weeks more trouble 

 with the nibbits. 



I read and re-read your Expression with infinite instruction and pleasure, and feel sure that 

 its influence will soon be seen at the Royal Academy. Enclosed is a small addition to the 

 not*; alxnit the family on p. 34. 



My .sister Emma, I am rejoiced to say, is now at the .seaside steadily mending in perfect 

 quiet and in full hopes of complete restoration to health. I wish iniwt heartily that yours w»« 

 better. Ever sincerely yours, Francis Oalton. 



