To Edward Blyth   [18 February 1867]1

6. Queen Anne St | Cavendish Sqre.— | W.

Monday

My dear Mr Blyth

I want to ask you a question about the title of some printed pages, which gave me some 20 or 30 years ago!!2

But I enjoyed our walk a month or two ago in the Zoolog. Gardens so much,3 & as I was told that you often walk there in the morning, it has occurred to me that, if disengaged, you would not object to meet me there.

I will go there next Wednesday morning at 10 oclock & go to Monkey House & wait within for quarter of an hour for the chance of your coming or being there before me.— If you know positively that you cannot meet me, perhaps you would have the kindness, to send me a line, as then, I should probably not go to the Gardens; if you think you can be there do not trouble yourself to write

Believe me | Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

P.S. I am bound to add that my health is always doubtful, & every few days I have a bad day & cannot go anywhere,— & thus unavoidably break any engagements.4

1
The date is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to Edward Blyth, 23 February [1867] (see n. 2, below). The only Monday during CD’s February 1867 visit to London was 18 February.
2
CD refers to galley proofs of pages 158 and 159 from a translation of Georges Cuvier’s Règne animal (Cuvier 1840 or 1849; see letter to Edward Blyth, 23 February [1867] and nn. 6 and 9).
3
CD walked with Blyth in the Zoological Gardens in Regent’s Park during his visit to London in November 1866 (see Correspondence vol. 14, letter to Edward Blyth, 10 December [1866]).
4
On CD’s recent health, see letter to W. D. Fox, 6 February [1867] and n. 6.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

5.2 go] after illeg

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-5406,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-5406