To P. L. Sclater   29 December [1870]

My dear M^r Sclater

I am infinitely obliged for all your corrections, but it is a horrid shame to spoil even an hour of your holidays, for holidays must, I am sure, be rare with you.—¹

I had some misgivings about the Moschidæ.—²

It is rather a bad job about the woodcut. It w^d. drive Murray mad, if I proposed to delay for a new woodcut, though it is very kind in you to propose to help me in this manner.—

I will append, beneath the cut, as follows, in parenthesis

(I find that this drawing represents the head of a female, but it serves to show on a reduced scale the characters, of the male.)³

If I do not hear from you, I will assume that this parenthesis is correct & will insert it— I was at the time rather surprised that the tusks were not larger, but supposed the drawing was of rather young male. One & $\frac{1}{2}$ or $\frac{3}{4}$ sheets will I believe complete your labours.—

Yours most heartily obliged | Ch. Darwin

I will send next sheets, when received, to Hanover Sq^e, marked “to be forwarded”.—⁴

What a rich & capital volume the last in your Proceedings—⁵