386 LIFE AT DOWN. yETAT. 33-45. [1853. 



press in a few months with my second volume on Cirripedes. 

 I have been much pleased by finding some odd facts in 

 my first volume believed by Owen and a few others, whose 

 good opinion I regard as final. . . . Do write pretty soon, and 

 tell me all you can about yourself and family ; and I trust 

 your report of yourself may be much better than your last. 



... I have been very little in London of late, and have 

 not seen Lyell since his return from America ; how lucky he 

 was to exhume with his own hand parts of three skeletons 

 of reptiles out of the Carboniferous strata, and out of the 

 inside of a fossil tree, which had been hollow within. 



Farewell, my dear Fox, yours affectionately, 



CHARLES DARWIN. 



C. Darwin to W. D. Fox. 



13 Sea Houses, Eastbourne, 



July [i 5th? 1853]. 



MY DEAR Fox, Here we are in a state of profound idle- 

 ness, which to me is a luxury ; and we should all, I believe, 

 have been in a state of high enjoyment, had it not been for 

 the detestable cold gales and much rain, which always gives 

 much ennui to children away from their homes. I received 

 your letter of I3th June, when working like a slave with 

 Mr. Sowerby at drawing for my second volume, and so put ofiT 

 answering it till when I knew I should be at leisure. I was 

 extremely glad to get your letter. I had intended a couple of 

 months ago sending you a savage or supplicating jobation to 

 know how you were, when I met Sir P. Egerton, who told me 

 you were well, and, as usual, expressed his admiration of your 

 doings, especially your farming, and the number of animals, 

 including children, which you kept on your land. Eleven 

 children, ave Maria ! it is a serious look-out for you. Indeed, 

 I look at my five boys as something awful, and hate the very 

 thoughts of professions, &c. If one could insure moderate 



