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To the Geological Society of London   5 May 1876

Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.

May 5th 1876

To the President & Council of the Geological Society

Gentlemen

I intend bringing out a new Edition of my Geological Observations on South America, and am anxious to incorporate a very short paper by me on the thickness of the Pampean Formation, which appeared in the Proceedings Dec 3rd 1862 p 68. If permission is granted to me to do so, might I further beg the use of the two wood-blocks given in this paper.1

In the sixth Volume of the Transactions, there is a paper by me on Erratic boulders, & at p 416 there is a wood-cut, & I should be greatly obliged for the loan of the block, if it can be found.2

Gentlemen | Your obliged & obedient | Servant | Charles Darwin

P.S. | If the three wood-blocks are lent, I should be much obliged if they could be sent to:—

Messrs Smith & Elder | Waterloo Place.—3

LS

1
The new edition included Volcanic islands and South America in a single volume with the title Geological observations on the volcanic islands and parts of South America visited during the voyage of H.M.S. ‘Beagle’ (Geological observations 2d ed.). ‘Pampean formation’ was published in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society in 1863 (Shorter publications, pp. 342–5), and reprinted in Geological observations 2d ed., pp. 363–7, with the two woodcuts from this article reproduced on pages 365 and 366.
2
CD’s publishers had requested that he provide them with the block of the first figure in his paper ‘Distribution of the erratic boulders’ (see letter from Smith, Elder, & Co., 1 May 1876). This woodcut was reproduced in Geological observations 2d ed., p. 379.
3
Smith, Elder, & Co. were the publishers of Geological observations 2d ed.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-10496F,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-10496F