From H. M. Wallis   14 March 1881

Sir—

I venture to submit to your notice the following since I do not remember meeting with it in your Descent of Man, although I cannot help think^g it more than probable that you are familiar with it already.¹

Soon after my little boy² was born I noticed that the little hairs upon his ears grew with a different ‘grain’ on different parts: to explain what I mean I subjoin a sketch of the ear—a normal ear quite—with the inverted tip rather strongly developed—

The hair on the upper part of the ear grew towards a certain point & that on the lower part of the lobe grew upwards towards the same point which was bare of hairs & was just over the introverted tip. The hairs did not grow on the edge of the ear but rather on the side next the head & curved gently over the edge as shewn in the sketch a. pointing in fact pretty nearly for the tip.

Although my little boy is not two years old these hairs have disappeared—but I have seen a similar growth upon the ear of a young man but most ears are quite bare.

I must take this opportunity of acknowledging the debt I, in common with the rest of thinking people, owe to you Sir for having opened my eyes & given me a key-plan to the jungle of phenomena around us.

I remain Sir | Your obedient Servant | H. M. Wallis.

D^r. Darwin—

As you are doubtless overdone with letters I beg that you will not think it necessary to acknowledge this unless it should prove of sufficient interest to need confirmation or explanation.