LETTERS. 215 



" No. II. is in the October no. for 1877. 



" Both these articles I remember thinking excellent. 



" I am not one of the editors of Kosmos, only a kind of 

 patron (!) and therefore cannot give permission ; but when you 

 write to the editors you can say that I have expressed a hope 

 that permission' would be granted, you acknowledging source 

 of papers. 



" Heartily wishing you success and in haste to catch first 

 post, I remain yours very faithfully, Q H DARWIN." 



Shortly after the date of the last letter Professor 

 Meldola came across a copy of Thomson's " Annals 

 of Philosophy" on a bookstall. It bore the name 

 "Erasmus Darwin" on the first page, and Meldola 

 offered it to Charles Darwin, thinking it might have 

 belonged to his grandfather. 



" March 12th, 1881 [The date was evidently May, and not 

 March]. " Down. 



"DEAR MR. MELDOLA, It is very kind of you to offer to 

 send me the book, but I feel sure that it could not have 

 belonged to my grandfather. My eldest brother's name is 

 Erasmus and he attended to chemistry when young, and I 

 suppose that the 'Annals of Philosophy' was left at my 

 Father's house and sold with the Library which belonged to 

 my sisters. I will look to the few words of Preface to Wies- 

 rnann [sic], whenever I receive a proof. With many thanks. 

 " Yours very faithfully, " CH. DARWIN." 



Then followed a brief note dated "Aug. 8, 1881," 

 referring to some point in the work upon which 

 Meldola was then engaged, and which cannot now be 

 ascertained. Another letter of the same date referred 

 to the translation of Weismann, and contained some 

 encouraging words upon the interest created by the 



