From Leonard Jenyns   31 December 1861

My dear Darwin,

I do not know that I ever thanked you for your valuable contribution to my memoir of Henslow, which I received thro’ D^r Hooker some months back.¹ I thought it a pity to insert it otherwise than entire as direct from yourself, which I accordingly did.— When however I have a proof the sheet in which it finds a place, I will take care & let you see it, according to the wish I found expressed at the end of the MS, that you may make any further corrections you desire.— I should hope this will not be long first, & unless I hear anything to the contrary, shall suppose that you are at home, & forward the proof to you the same day it gets to me, having first seen that it is correct according to what you first wrote.— If you wish to make much alteration, I should like it to be returned to me to look at,—but otherwise you may return it to the printers direct, whose address I will send with it.—

The Memoir is quite finished & out of my hands: I am afraid those friends of my lamented relative to whom it relates, & who are looking for it, will think that it has been a long time about. But like everything of the kind, when I got well into the work, one thing suggested another, & I found myself getting beyond the limits I had at first marked down. It took moreover some time looking over all his tracts & other publications, with a view to abstracting their contents. Sedgwick had promised me an analysis of his two papers on Geology of Man & Anglesea,—but alas he is too ill to do it.—²

It has afforded me a sort of melancholy pleasure in undertaking the task, & I have done it as well as I can,—but with what success I must leave to others to judge.—

I cannot allow you to get this on the 1^st. Jan. without wishing that the New Year may bring you & your’s both health & happiness.

Believe me, | My dear Darwin, | Sincerely Your’s | L. Jenyns.