To Alfred Newton   29 October [1865]

My dear Sir

As I have always held, if you will permit me to say so, a very friendly feeling & respect towards you, it is with sincere regret, I may say with pain, that I feel I cannot give you a testimonial for the intended Professorship, of which I had not previously heard;¹ for in my opinion in the present state of Zoological Science it would be indispensable that a teacher should have especially studied comparative anatomy & Histology, & likewise have attended much to the invertebrate animals which exhibit such different types of structure.

If I am not mistaken, you have not published on these subjects, & have chiefly attended to Birds, including their habits, instincts, distrubution and other such philosophical points.² I do not suppose my testimonial would be of much value, & with not a few members of the University it w^d be absolutely injurious, nevertheless it would have been a great satisfaction to me to have given you a testimonial, had it been in my power.

Pray believe me | my dear Sir | yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin