To J. G. Forchhammer   12 November [1849]

My dear Sir

I beg your pardon for troubling you, but I know not how to send the enclosed letter to Prof. Loven;¹ will you be so kind as to direct it? He has described a most remarkable cirripede (his Alepas squalicola) parasitic on the northern Sharks,² & I have written to beseech him for a specimen.— Do you familiarly know him? if so, will you back up my request with a word from yourself.—

I suppose you got my letter³ a few weeks ago, begging for specimens; I shall be truly anxious to receive them. I hope that you will forgive all this trouble & I think I may trust to your great goodnature to do so.

Yours very sincerely | C. Darwin

Do you know anything of a Cineras⁴ from the North, which Eschricht⁵ (I do not know whether name spelt right) brought with him to the British Association at Oxford,⁶ but I did not then think of describing all the species of Cirripedia.—