1832.] RIO. 233 



even yet marvellous in my own eyes, and I dare say it is little 

 less so to you, the receiving a letter from a son of yours in 

 such a quarter. 



Believe me, my dear Father, 



Your most affectionate son, 



CHARLES DARWIN. 



C. Darwin to W. D. Fox. 



Botofogo Bay, near Rio de Janeiro, 



May, 1832. 

 MY DEAR FOX, 



I have delayed writing to you and all my other 

 friends till I arrived here and had some little spare time. My 

 mind has been, since leaving England, in a perfect hurricane 

 of delight and astonishment, and to this hour scarcely a minute 

 has passed in idleness 



At St. Jago my natural history and most delightful 

 labours commenced. During the three weeks I collected a 

 host of marine animals, and enjoyed many a good geological 

 walk. Touching at some islands, we sailed to Bahia, and 

 from thence to Rio, where I have already been some weeks. 

 My collections go on admirably in almost every branch. As 

 for insects, I trust I shall send a host of undescribed species 

 to England. I believe they have no small ones in the collec- 

 tions, and here this morning I have taken minute Hydropori, 

 Noterus, Colymbetes, Hydrophilus, Hydrobius, Gromius, &c. 

 &c., as specimens of fresh-water beetles. I am entirely oc- 

 cupied with land animals, as the beach is only sand. Spiders 

 and the adjoining tribes have perhaps given me, from their 

 novelty, the most pleasure. I think I have already taken 

 several new genera. 



But Geology carries the day : it is like the pleasure of 

 gambling. Speculating, on first arriving, what the rocks may 

 be, I often mentally cry out 3 to I tertiary against primitive ; 



