From Francis Darwin to Alphonse de Candolle   24 January [1881]¹

Dear Sir,

I was much pleased at your kindness in remembering the interest which I felt in your method of illustrating inheritance. Both my father & myself have been much interested in examining your diagram²   It seems to us that the difficulty of estimating the different qualities in oneself or in others is very great. My father tried to compare himself with his father³ but quite failed to determine what qualities he inherited from him. If it were not for this difficulty there is no doubt as it seems to my father & myself that your method would give most interesting results   I venture to send you a diagram showing a way of graphically comparing a man with his parents. It is composed so as to compare myself with my parents, the qualities being in some instances perhaps exaggerated.

Since writing the above part of this letter, I have shown the diagram to my father, & he has filled in his father. I think it shows that he resembles my grandfather more than I do my father. I seem to resemble my mother⁴ in some points.

I remain, with great respect | Yours sincerely | Francis Darwin