of plants, etc., etc. This I
suppose was written after the reception of my first cargo of specimens.
Not having heard from you until March of this year I really began to
think that my collections were so poor, that you were puzzled what to
say; the case is now quite on the opposite tack; for you are guilty of
exciting all my vain feelings to a most comfortable pitch; if hard
work will atone for these thoughts, I vow it shall not be spared. It is
rather late, but I will allude to some remarks in the January letter;
you advise me to send home duplicates of my notes; I have been aware of
the advantage of doing so; but then at sea to this day, I am invariably
sick, excepting on the finest days, at which times with pelagic animals
around me, I could never bring myself to the task--on shore the most
prudent person could hardly expect such a sacrifice of time. My notes
are becoming bulky. I have about 600 small quarto pages full; about half
of this is Geology--the other imperfect descriptions of animals; with
the latter I make it a rule only to describe those parts or facts,
which cannot be seen in specimens in spirits. I keep my private Journal
distinct from the above. (N.B. this letter is a most untidy one, but
my mind is untidy with joy; it is your fault, so you must take the
consequences.) With respect to the land Planariae, unquestionably they
are not molluscous animals. I read your letters last night, this morning
I took a little walk; by a curious coincidence, I found a new white
species of Planaria, and a new to me Vaginulus (third species which I
have found in S. America) of Cuvier. Amongst the marine mollusques I
have seen a good many genera, and at Rio found one quite new one. With
respect to the December letter, I am very glad to hear the four casks
arrived safe; since which time you have received another cargo, with
the bird skins about which you did not understand me. Have any of the
B. Ayrean seeds produced plants? From the Falklands I acknowledged a box
and letter from you; with the letter were a few seeds from Patagonia. At
present I have specimens enough to make a heavy cargo, but shall wait
as much longer as possible, because opportunities are not now so good
as before. I have just got scent of some fossil bones of a MAMMOTH; what
they may be I do not know, but if gold or galloping will get them they
shall be mine. You tell me you like hearing how I am going on and what
doing, and you well may imagine how muc