Ɛpsilon

To J. F. W. Herschel   2 [November 1838]

My dear Sir

I happened to mention to Mr Macleay, who sails in a few days to Australia,1 the plan, you told me the other evening, you had followed with success in catching pelagic animals, when the Ship has way on her.— Mr Macleay is particularly anxious to know the size of the mesh, & where he can obtain the kind of netting.—

I called the other day on Lady Herschel, & had hoped to have been enabled to have asked you this question; so I hope you will excuse the liberty I take in troubling you with this note, as I promised Mr Macleay—I would endeavour to procure from you an answer before I again saw him.—

Believe me | Yours truly obliged | Charles Darwin Friday 2d 2

36 Grt. Marlbro’ St.

1
By 29 May 1839, CD had heard of William Sharp MacLeay’s safe arrival at Rio de Janeiro (see letter to W. S. MacLeay, 29 May 1839).
2
‘Friday 2d’ occurred in February, March, and November 1838, but Herschel did not return to England until May.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.4 netting] ‘ting’ added
2.1 enabled] altered from ‘able’
2.3 would] over illeg
2.4 answer] ‘er’ over ‘ers’
point omitted after : 1.2 ‘me’; 1.4 ‘of the’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-430,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-430