Ɛpsilon

To W. B. Tegetmeier   4 [July 1858]1

Down Bromley Kent

4th

My dear Sir

I write one line to say that I have had death & severe illness & misery amongst my children, & am going at once to leave home for some weeks for their health.—2 Therefore all my Pigeon work must be deferred till my return.3

I hope you received the P. order for the Bee-Hive sent about the 23d. 4

My dear Sir | Yours sincerely | C. Darwin

If you are able kindly to send young Turbit— Please mark outside “dead Pigeon to be put in Spirits”.5

1
Dated by the reference to the death of Charles Waring Darwin.
3
CD had begun to write up the results of his study of pigeons on 14 June 1858. He was not able to return to the work until 17 August (‘Journal’; Appendix II).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.2 health.] before omitted point
4.1 young] after del ‘, one day,’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-2301,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-2301