To E. R. Lankester   13 October [1881]¹

My dear D^r. Lankester

I have been much pleased and interested by your note.² I never actually tried sea-water, but I was very fond of angling when a boy, and as I could not bear to see the worms wriggling on the hook, I dipped them always first in salt water, and this killed them very quickly. I remember, though not very distinctly, seeing several earth-worms dead on the beach close to where a little brook entered, and I assumed that they had been brought down by the brook, killed by the sea-water and cast on shore. With your skill and great knowledge, I have no doubt that you will make out much new about the anatomy of worms, whenever you take up the subject again—³

Believe me, | Yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin

Frank is in N. Wales.⁴