From Raphael Meldola   4 June 1879

My dear Mr. Darwin,

I read to the Entom. Soc. this evening a translation of Fritz Müller’s admirable paper from Kosmos &, as might have been expected, it was severely criticised by many of our members the majority of whom are as you know nothing more than species describers. In fact I do not think anyone fairly grasped the line of argument through inability to follow the simple algebraical reasoning which F.M. has adopted to express the state of affairs with regard to the action of Natural Selection on 2 allied species both possessing distasteful qualities.¹ However the paper will appear in full in our Proceedings & my object in writing to you is to ask you if you could kindly assist me in getting the loan of the wood-blocks from the publishers of Kosmos— it would save us the expense of having them recut & this is a matter for consideration in the present state of our funds.²

I must beg your kind forgiveness for thus troubling you. If you let me know to whom I can apply it will be sufficient.

Yours very truly, | R. Meldola.