Ɛpsilon

To Roland Trimen   13 November [1871]1

Down, | Beckenham, Kent.

Nov. 13th

My dear Mr Trimen

I write one line to say how sorry I am not to see you before your return to the Cape, which I presume will be soon. But I cannot get my head steady enough to see anyone. I have just returned from a visit to my sister for a week, but I was forced to spend nearly all the day in my bed-room.—2

I read with much interest some little time ago your paper on geographical Distribution of Beetles; & agreed, I believe, with all your general remarks.—3

I wish you all success in your future researches & remain | Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

If on the point of starting do not trouble yourself to answer this.—

1
The year is established by the reference to Trimen 1871 and by CD’s stay at Leith Hill Place (see nn. 2 and 3, below).
2
CD visited his sister, Caroline Susan Wedgwood, at Leith Hill Place in Surrey, from 3 to 10 November 1871 (CD’s ‘Journal’ (Appendix II). CD had been unable to receive a visit from Trimen in August, while CD was staying in Albury, Surrey (letter from Emma Darwin to Roland Trimen, [22 August 1871]).
3
CD’s annotated copy of Trimen’s paper, ‘Notes on the geographical distribution and dispersion of insects’ (Trimen 1871), is in the collection of unbound journals in the Darwin Archive–CUL.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

, I believe,] interl

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-8064,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-8064