[page] 32

Down, Beckenham

Kent March 23

Dear Günther

As I do not know Mr Ford's address, will you hand him this note, which is written solely to express my unbounded admiration of the woodcuts. I fairly gloat over them. The only evil is that they will make all the other woodcuts look very poor!

They are all excellent, & for the feathers I declare I think it the most wonderful woodcut I ever saw: I cannot help touching it to make sure that it is smooth. How I wish to see the two other & even more important ones of the feathers & the four other Reptiles &c.— Once again accept my very sincere thanks for all your kindness. I am greatly indebted to Mr Ford. Engravings have always hitherto been my greatest misery & now they are a real pleasure to me.— Yours very sincerely

Ch. Darwin.

I thought I shd have been in press by this time, but my subject has branched off into sub-branches, which have cost me infinite time, & Heaven knows when I shall have all my M.S ready, but I am never idle.—

P.S. Please ask Mr Ford to keep my rough sketches of feathers & my notes, as I am much puzzled what to do about the letters of reference to the different marks & dots.—