DARWIN, Charles (1809-1882). Naturalist.
Autograph Letter Signed (but incomplete) to Lady Drysdale, 1 page 8vo (repairs to weak spots), Wells Terrace, Ilkley, Otley, Yorkshire, 'Saturday', no date. Thanking her for her 'kindness about the Hornets' combs' and asking her to send them to him care of G Snow at an address in Southwark.

'... Will you be so good as to send them packed in a little Box with cotton-wool (in 3 or 4 weeks' time) per Railway addressed as follows / C Darwin ... .'

Lady Drysdale was the mother-in-law of Edward Lane, proprietor of Moor Park, a health establishment Darwin visited on several occasions. Ironically, the Yorkshire address dates this letter some time from October to December 1859, when Darwin visited a hydropathic establishment with his family.
 It has recently been discovered that this is the opening section of a longer letter which will appear in the Calendar of Darwin's correspondence as number 2498a. Darwin had accidentally slipped one sheet inside another so that the continuation is not on the reverse of the first page, which happens to end with his name.
[No: 7636]