butIwillnottroubleyouwithanyremarks。Imay，however，say，thatyoumusthavebeendeceivedbytheFrenchtranslation，asyouinferthatI
believethattheParusandtheNuthatch（orSitta）arerelatedbydirectfiliation。Iwishedonlytoshowbyanimaginaryillustration，howeitherinstinctsorstructuresmightfirstchange。IfyouhadseenCanisMagellanicusaliveyouwouldhaveperceivedhowfoxlikeitsappearanceis，orifyouhadhearditsvoice，Ithinkthatyouwouldneverhavehazardedtheideathatitwasadomesticdogrunwild;butthisdoesnotmuchconcernme。Itiscurioushownationalityinfluencesopinion;aweekhardlypasseswithoutmyhearingofsomenaturalistinGermanywhosupportsmyviews，andoftenputsanexaggeratedvalueonmyworks;whilstinFranceIhavenotheardofasinglezoologist，exceptM。Gaudry（andheonlypartially），whosupportsmyviews。ButImusthaveagoodmanyreadersasmybooksaretranslated，andImusthope，notwithstandingyourstrictures，thatImayinfluencesomeembryonaturalistsinFrance。
Youfrequentlyspeakofmygoodfaith，andnocomplimentcanbemoredelightfultome，butImayreturnyouthecomplimentwithinterest，foreverywordwhichyouwritebearsthestampofyourcordialloveforthetruth。Believeme，dearSir，withsincererespect，Yoursveryfaithfully，CHARLESDARWIN。
CHARLESDARWINTOT。H。HUXLEY。
Down，October14[1869]。