Ɛpsilon

To W. B. Tegetmeier   20 June 1862

Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.

June 20th. 1862

My dear Sir

I have real pleasure in sending you my opinion, as a testimonial, of your varied acquirements, & acute powers of observation.1 I have repeatedly been struck at the extent of your knowledge in many departments of Science,—at the originality of your ideas,—at your powers of clear expression in writing, & especially at your pure & disinterested love of Science.— Your paper on Bees’ cells, read before the British Association was highly useful & suggestive to me.—2 You know that I have often applied to you for information, & I beg permission to state that I have rarely in my whole life met anyone more thoroughily obliging & willing to give aid of every kind.— I hope that you may be successful in your application, for I am convinced that the Hartley Institution will obtain in you a really good & zealous Curator.—3

My dear Sir | Yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin

To | W. B. Tegetmeier Esqre—4

1
Tegetmeier and CD had corresponded extensively since 1855. In addition to facilitating CD’s study of the habits of bees and bee-cell construction, Tegetmeier introduced CD to pigeon fanciers at meetings of London clubs and fairs, and assisted CD in acquiring live birds, skins, and skeletons (see Correspondence vols. 5–9 and Secord 1981).
2
Tegetmeier 1858.
3
The Hartley Institution, Southampton (later Hartley University College), opened in October 1862 (History of Hampshire 2: 385–6). Tegetmeier apparently did not succeed in his application to become curator (see letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, 12 August [1862], and Richardson 1916).
4
There is a draft of this letter in DAR 96: 8.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-3612,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-3612