Ɛpsilon

From Francis Darwin   [after 2 October 1876]1

Pantlludw

My dearest Father,

I am very sorry the corrections were such a grind, but anyhow the worst is done now2  Couldn’t I do revises? or have you nothing else to do. I came to the conclusion that the Polecat & Ferret paper was not worth giving with the other.3 I will send you the monkey paper back as I want to start my teasel4 & I think it (the monkeys) is much better it should be put in Nature as a letter.5 I like translating, as it makes one do carefully what one would naturally skim. I almost doubt the crossing paper is worth publishing but I will polish it up as I have done the grind of translating it—6

Please thank dear Mother for her letter, Mrs Ruck7 tells me often she likes to come, if she can, which is very good of her

I am glad you are off to S’hampton8

Love to everybody | Yrs dear Father | affec | Frank Darwin

I wrote to Wiesner9

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to Francis Darwin, 2 October [1876].
2
Francis sent corrections to the proof-sheets for the final chapter of Cross and self fertilisation (see letter to Francis Darwin, 2 October [1876]).
3
CD had suggested that Francis translate several German articles by Johann von Fischer (see letter to Francis Darwin, 2 October [1876] and n. 4).
4
For Francis’s work on the teasel, see the letter from Francis Darwin, [1 June 1876] and n. 2.
5
CD discussed the paper on monkeys (Fischer 1876a) in his article in Nature, 2 November 1876, pp. 18–19, ‘Sexual selection in relation to monkeys’; see letter to Francis Darwin, 2 October [1876].
6
The paper on crossing experiments with rats was Fischer 1874b.
7
Mary Anne Ruck. Emma Darwin’s letter has not been found.
8
CD stayed at William Erasmus Darwin’s house in Southampton from 7 to 19 October (‘Journal’ (Appendix II)).
9
Julius von Wiesner (see letter to Francis Darwin, 2 October [1876] and n. 7).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-10629F,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-10629F