To J. de C. Sowerby   3 March [1850]

My dear Sir

I am much obliged by your note.— I have lost a good many days of late & now I do not think I shall have finished all the pedunculate fossil Cirripedia for 10 days or a fortnight, when I will bring them all up to you—some 15 or 16 or more species.—¹

I promised the possessessors that I w^d. myself take up & down—the specimens.

I will let you know when I will come up; & I will then come early in morning & examine the drawings made, & leave specimens & rough sketches of the others.

The Palæont^l. Soc. has agreed to publish the fossil species, & if you so like, I will ask the Soc. to get you to engrave your own drawings.—

Please, if you can, do not forget to get for me a proof-plate of the Cirripedia in Dixon.² & send it per post— I sh^d be very thankful for this.—

If I were but better in health, I w^d. work quicker

Yours sincerely | C. Darwin

I shall have the Loricula to be engraved.³

Pray lock up the specimens, as I am deeply pledged to their care