Ɛpsilon

To W. B. Tegetmeier   4 February [1859]1

Down Bromley Kent

Feb. 4th

My dear Sir

I have been very remiss in not having thanked you for the two white Fowls (Cochin & black-skinned) received some time since.

My health has been very bad lately & I am going tomorrow for hydropathy to “Moor Park, Farnham, Surrey”. for a fortnight.—2

If I could get one or two more white Breeds it would suffice, viz a white Sussex or Dorking & silver Pencilled Hamburgh.— If you stumble on these birds during next fortnight & have to communicate with me, if you write to Mr Snow Carrier at Nag’s Head;3 please put on top of outside of letter “to be opened by anyone who comes”, as last time I had to send the next day specially to London for the Fowls If you write here please direct to my housekeeper “Mrs Evans at C. Darwin Esqe &c &c” for we shall be all away & my Butler.—4

How kind you have been in taking so much trouble for me; & how unreason-able does this note seem.—

Pray believe me | My dear Sir | Yours very sincerely | C. Darwin

1
Dated by the reference to CD’s visit to Moor Park hydropathic establishment (see n. 2, below).
2
CD was at Moor Park from 5 to 19 February 1859 (‘Journal’; Appendix II).
3
George Snow, the Down carrier, collected parcels at the Nag’s Head Inn in London.
4
While CD was at Moor Park, Emma and the children visited Emma’s sister, Charlotte Langton, at Hartfield in Sussex, where they stayed until 18 February 1859 (Emma Darwin’s diary). Joseph Parslow, the butler, accompanied CD to Moor Park (CD’s Account book (Down House MS)).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

3.1 or two] interl
3.1 white] after omitted point
3.2 silver] after del ‘whi’
3.3 Mr Snow] interl
3.5 for the Fowls] interl

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-2407,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-2407