128 GEOEGE JOHN EOMANES i88i- 



The proof-sheets are coming in, and I suppose the 

 book will be out in a month or two. I do not know 

 why they are so slow in setting up the type. But, as 

 I said once before, this book will not be so good (or 

 so little bad) as the one that is to follow. 



Bwart and I have been working at the Echino- 

 derms again, and at last have found the internal 

 nervous plexus. Also tried poisons, and proved still 

 further the locomotor function of the pedicellariee. 



I observed a curious thing about anemones. If 

 a piece of food is placed in a pool or tank where a 

 number are closed, in a few minutes they all expand : 

 clearly they smell the food. 



I am deeply sorry to hear that you feel ' worn out,' 

 but cannot imagine that the reviewers have done with 

 you yet. 



The vivisection fight does not promise well. Like 

 yourself, most of the champions do not Hke the idea. 



Gr. J. EoMANES. 



There are many other letters, but care has been 

 taken only to select the most interesting. In 1881 

 came the last visit to Down, full of brightness. 

 Mr. Darwin was most particularly kind, and gave 

 Mr. Komanes some of his own MSS., including a paper 

 on ' Instinct,' which is bound up with Mr. Eomanes' 

 own book, ' Mental Evolution in Animals.' It trans- 

 pired that Mr. Darwin was extremely fond of novels, 

 and had the most delightful way of offering his guests 

 books to take to bed with them. In fact, Down was 

 one of the few houses in which readable books adorned 

 the guest-chambers. 



It came out on this occasion that Mr. Darwin had 

 an especial love for the books written by the author 

 of ' Mademoiselle Mori.' He offered one of his guests 



