i88i.] BIRTHDAY GIFTS. 403 



ceived, and my satisfaction has been greatly enhanced by 

 your most kind letter of February 9. ... I thank you all 

 from my heart. I have written by this post to Herr Rade, 

 and I hope he will somehow manage to thank all my generous 

 friends." 



To Professor A. van Bemmelen he wrote, on receiving a 

 similar present from a number of distinguished men and 

 lovers of Natural History in the Netherlands : — 



*' Sir, — I received yesterday the magnificent present of 

 the album, together with your letter. I hope that you will 

 endeavour to find some means to express to the two hundred 

 and seventeen distinguished observers and lovers of natural 

 science, who have sent me their photographs, my gratitude 

 for their extreme kindness. I feel deeply gratified by this 

 gift, and I do not think that any testimonial more honourable 

 to me could have been imagined. I am well aware that my 

 books could never have been written, and would not have 

 made any impression on the public mind, had not an immense 

 amount of material been collected by a long series of admir- 

 able observers ; and it is to them that honour is chiefly due. 

 I suppose that every worker at science occasionally feels de- 

 pressed, and doubts whether what he has published has been 

 worth the labour which it has cost him, but for the few re- 

 maining years of my life, whenever I want cheering, I will 

 look at the portraits of my distinguished co-workers in the 

 field of science, and remember their generous sympathy. 

 When I die, the album will be a most precious bequest to my 

 children. I must further express my obligation for the very 

 interesting history contained in your letter of the progress of 

 opinion in the Netherlands, with respect to Evolution, the 

 whole of which is quite new to me. I must again thank all 

 my kind friends, from my heart, for their ever-memorable 

 testimonial, and I remain, Sir, 



Your obliged and grateful servant, 



Charles R. Darwin." 



[In the June of the following year (1878) he was gratified 



