“Down.
“My dear Sir,—It is impossible for F. M. [Fritz Müller] to object to anything which you have said in your very interesting little essay.—I just allude to Butterflies preferring certain colours at p. 317 of 2nd Editn. of the Descent and to the case of the species of Castnia p. 315 which has ornamented hinder wings and displays them, whilst 2 other species have plain hind wings and do not display them. My son, who has charge of my library, returns home to-night and then we will search for Weismann. He gives splendid case of caterpillar with coloured ocelli like true eyes, and which frightened away birds.
“Yours sincerely,
“Ch. Darwin.”
The reference in this letter is to Meldola’s paper, “Entomological Notes bearing on Evolution,” soon afterwards published in the Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 1878, Vol. I. p. 155. The caterpillar referred to is the well-known larva of the Large Elephant Hawk Moth (Chærocampa elpenor).
Darwin then wrote a brief note (October 19th, 1877) referring to a number of Kosmos containing an article on “Sexual Selection.” He offered to send the number if it would interest his correspondent. The number was sent, as the succeeding letter shows:—
“Oct. 22nd [1877].
“Down.
“My dear Sir,—I send Kosmos by this post....
“Prof. Weismann’s address is Freiburg.—I should think he would be glad of translation, and would probably arrange for stereotypes of Plates.—You could say as an introduction that I had lent you his book.—To find a publisher will be perhaps a difficulty. Should it be translated I must beg you to get another copy, as I cannot spare mine for such a length of time.—Wallace sent me his article and I was quite dissatisfied with it.—To explain a peacock’s tail by vital activity seems to me mere verbiage—a mere metaphysical principle.
“My dear Sir, yours faithfully,
“Ch. Darwin.