1876 LETTER TO DARWIN 183 



pete with any five children of their age and weight. Jess 

 and Mady are here with us and have been doing great 

 execution at a ball at Newcastle. I really don't know 

 myself when I look at these young women, and my 

 hatred of possible sons-in-law is deadly. All send their 

 love. Ever yours very faithfully, T. H. HUXLEY. 



Wish you joy of Bristol 



The following letter to Darwin was written when 

 the Polar Expedition under Sir George Nares was in 

 preparation. It illustrates the range of observation 

 which his friends had learned to expect in him : 



ATHEN.S:UM CLUB, Jan. 22, 1875. 



MY DEAR DARWIN I write on behalf of the Polar 

 Committee of the Koyal Society to ask for any suggestions 

 you may be inclined to ofl'er us as instructions to the 

 naturalists who are to accompany the new expedition. 



The task of drawing up detailed instructions is divided 

 among a lot of us ; but you are as full of ideas as an egg 

 is full of meat, and are shrewdly suspected of having, 

 somewhere in your capacious cranium, a store of notions 

 which would be of great value to the naturalists. 



All I can say is, that if you have not already " collated 

 facts" on this topic, it will be the first subject I ever 

 suggested to you on which you had not. 



Of course we do not expect you to put yourself to 

 any great trouble nor ask for such a thing but if you 

 will jot down any notes that occur to you we shall be 

 thankful. 



We must have everything in hand for printing by 

 March 15. Ever yours very faithfully, 



T. H. HUXLEY. 



The following letter dates from soon after the 

 death of Charles Kingsley : 



