From David Forbes   18 February 1871

My dear M^r Darwin

I have this moment received your two new volumes which you have so kindly sent me and which I shall appreciate the more as coming from yourself—¹ I have been eagerly looking out for their appearance and now hail their publication with much pleasure; having already commenced their perusal I found the commencement so interesting that I feel sure they will be equally so to the end— yet I can plainly see that you have had great difficulty in condensing the wonderful amount of matter which you have collected into so comparatively small a space as that at your command in these two volumes— I trust however that your health will continue to improve and that you may be long spared to us, to continue your researches for the benefit of Science—and

Again thanking you for your kindness I remain | Yours very sincerely | David Forbes