Ɛpsilon

From J. W. Judd   10 October 1881

Hurstleigh, | Kew,

10th. Octr. 1881

My dear Sir,

I am greatly indebted to you for the copy of your new and most interesting book, which you were so good as to send to me.1 It is indeed a most beautiful development of your former observations on this subject.2 The geological bearings of the question are of the very greatest importance.

In reading the book, I noticed a very obvious misprint, of which I send you a note, in case it has not already been pointed out; As no doubt fresh editions will soon be required. It is on page 134, where 1.9 is printed for .19—3

There is one ground on which all your friends must rejoice at the appearance of this book—namely in the evidence which it affords of your good health and vigour, permitting of the pursuit of so many out-of-door enquiries

Believe me to remain, | Yours very faithfully, | John W. Judd

Charles Darwin Esq L.L.D, F.R.S.

1
Judd’s name is on CD’s presentation list for Earthworms (see Appendix IV).
2
CD’s first paper on the action of worms, published in 1837, was ‘Formation of mould’.
3
The same error had been pointed out by Henry Nottidge Moseley in his letter to CD of 9 October 1881. CD later informed his German translator of the error (letter to J. V. Carus, 2 November 1881); in the English edition, the correction was made in the printing of the fourth thousand.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-13389,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-13389