376 LIFE AT DOWN. ,ETAT. 33~45. [1849. 



interest ; the beasts not having even noticed my three geolo- 

 gical volumes which I had sent to them), and I have come 

 to the conclusion it is better not to send them. I feel sure, 

 considering all the circumstances, that without you took pains 

 and wrote with care, a condensed and finished sketch of some- 

 striking feature in your travels, it is better not to send 

 anything. These two letters are, moreover, rather too geolo- 

 gical for the ' Athenaeum,' and almost require woodcuts. On 

 the other hand, there are hardly enough details for a commu- 

 nication to the Geological Society. I have not the smallest 

 doubt that your facts are of the highest interest with regard to 

 glacial action in the Himalaya ; but it struck both Lyell and 

 myself .that your evidence ought to have been given more 

 distinctly. . . . 



I have written so lately that I have nothing to say about 

 myself; my health prevented me going on with a crusade 

 against " mihi " and " nobis," of which you warn me of the 

 dangers. I showed my paper to three or four Naturalists, and 

 they all agreed with me to a certain extent : with health and 

 vigour, I would not have shown a white feather, [and] with 

 aid of half-a-dozen really good Naturalists, I believe something 

 might have been done against the miserable and degrading 

 passion of mere species naming. In your letter you wonder 

 what " Ornamental Poultry " has to do with Barnacles ; but 

 do not flatter yourself that I shall not yet live to finish the 

 Barnacles, and then make a fool of myself on the subject of 

 species, under which head ornamental Poultry are very 

 interesting. . . . 



C. Darwin to C. LyelL 



The Lodge, Malvern [June, 1849]. 



... I have got your book,* and have read all the first and a 

 small part of the second volume (reading is the hardest work 



* ' A Second Visit to the United States.' 



