Flamsted House | Greenwich S.E.
1871. Dec. 9
My dear Sir
⟨ ⟩ your letter ⟨ ⟩ April 5th (if it ⟨ ⟩ ago as to⟨ ⟩) gave me spirit ⟨ ⟩ writing to you again, by asking me to observe whe⟨ther⟩ the platysma myoides contracts
(1) during extreme terror, or
(2) during a shivering fit.1
The nearest approach to extreme terror that I have felt since then, has been caused by the sight of a ⟨pages damaged⟩
be present) I heard the Chancellor of the Exchequer deliver a capital speech, the greater part of which ⟨I⟩ should describe, to any one but yourself, as a Darwinian manifesto—2 There were no reporters in the room, and I cannot be ⟨sure⟩ of his exact words, but he ⟨several words missing⟩ to the hopefulness ⟨2 or 3 words missing⟩ he looked forward to ⟨the⟩ time when the general ⟨ ⟩ recognition of the truth ⟨ ⟩ great doctrine of evolution ⟨ ⟩ lead to the general de⟨velop⟩ment of a spirit of uni⟨versal⟩ charity towards all things ⟨ ⟩ on the earth. ⟨On⟩ the other hand, at a ⟨meet⟩ing of a Literary Society at a ⟨ ⟩ town in the north, one ⟨ ⟩nth, I heard a paper ⟨pages damaged⟩
but I take advantage of the occasion to ask if you know of any paper or treatise dealing with the facts of leaf arrangement by your theory— ⟨ ⟩ scrutable marvels of ⟨ ⟩ (!) are the pleasure-grounds ⟨ ⟩ ⟨evo⟩lutionists, and they revel ⟨to their hear⟩ts’ content in their ⟨ ⟩ries of arithmetic ⟨several words missing⟩ they carry far ⟨ ⟩ limits found in nature, ⟨ ⟩ mystery of ⟨ ⟩ angle, between one-half ⟨and⟩ one-third of 360o, which has no representative at all in nature. But I am presuaded that all the facts are to be explained by reference ⟨ ⟩ to the geometrical necessities ⟨of m⟩utual accommodation in the bud.3
Please cite as “DCP-LETT-8101,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on