My dear Huxley,
Your affectionate friend,
CHARLES DARWIN.


LETTER 33. TO T.H. HUXLEY.

(33/1. The following letter is one of the earliest of the long series
addressed to Mr. Huxley.)

Down, April 23rd [1854].

My dear Sir

I have got out all the specimens, which I have thought could by any
possibility be of any use to you; but I have not looked at them, and know
not what state they are in, but should be much pleased if they are of the
smallest use to you. I enclose a catalogue of habitats: I thought my
notes would have turned out of more use. I have copied out such few points
as perhaps would not be apparent in preserved specimens. The bottle shall
go to Mr. Gray on Thursday next by our weekly carrier.

I am very much obliged for your paper on the Mollusca (33/2. The paper of
Huxley's is "On the Morphology of the Cephalous Mollusca, etc." ("Phil.
Trans. R. Soc." Volume 143, Part I., 1853, page 29.)); I have read it all
with much interest: but it would be ridiculous in me to make any remarks
on a subject on which I am so utterly ignorant; but I can see its high
importance. The discovery of the type or "idea" (33/3. Huxley defines his
use of the word "archetype" at page 50: "All that I mean is the conception