Ɛpsilon

To A. A. Gould   8 April [1850]1

Down Farnborough Kent

April 8th.

My dear Sir

I write one line to say how sorry I am that I troubled you with a former letter; for on calling yesterday at Mr Cumings I found there a parcel for me from you. Mr Cuming was ill when it arrived & the servant laid it aside & it was found only the other day.— I am very much obliged for this fresh proof of your kindness.— In your note, you speak of a Coronula being enclosed; such, I am sorry to say was not in the parcel & I am quite unable to account for its loss. The parcel contained only a fine large Balanus. Mr Dana gave me some hopes that you possessed some species of Scalpellum.—

Pray accept my apologies & thanks & believe | me dear Sir in Haste | Yours sincerely obliged | C. Darwin

1
The reference in the letter to CD’s wish to see species of Scalpellum indicates a date of 1850, the period during which he was preparing descriptions of this genus for Living Cirripedia (1851). CD was in London to attend a council meeting of the Geological Society on 10 April (‘Journal’; Correspondence vol. 4, Appendix I), which might be the occasion on which he visited Hugh Cuming.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.6 The parcel contained only a fine large Balanus.] added

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-1320,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-1320