140 Life and Letters of Francis alton
GENhvE. 16 Juin 1873.
MON CHER MONSIEUR, Vous me faites esperer une visite dans le courant de l'automne et comme je serais bien fache de vous manquer, permettez-moi de vous dire que je serai sans doute a. Geneve depuis le milieu ou au plus tard la fin de septembre. J'ai l'intention de m'absenter pendant le mois d'aoiit, mais it est bien douteux que mon excursion se prolonge au dela de 5 ou 6 semaines.
Si vous passez dans notre ville vous n'avez qu'a me demander Cour St Pierre 3 (au 2ieme etage). C'est la qu'est mon herbier et aussi ma bibliotheque. J'y viens tour les jours de 11 a 2 h., excepte le dimanche.
Dans la soiree et les dimanches vous me trouveriez au Vallon, prcs Chene et de Chene a ma maison de eampagne it y a 8 minutes.
Votre idee d'experimenter sur les souris serait excellente a suivre. Il faudrait voir d'abord quelle substance toxique ces animaux mangent volontiers et quelle dose on peut leur en donner sans leur faire trop de mal et en produisant cependant des effets sensibles. Le Cannabis a moins de matiere inebriante dans la graine que dans les feuilles, mais it doit pourtant y en avoir. Une patee alcoolisee _ serait peut-titre plus commode, parce qu'on saurait bien la dose d'alcool administree.
Des pigeons qui s'accoupleraient sous l'empire de l'alcool donneraient peut-titre des petits tumblers? Mr Darwin pourrait 1'essayer mieux que personne. Mais it dirait peut-titre que la fecondation des eeufs dans les oiseaux est entouree de trop d'incertitude. On ne saurait peut-titre pas exactement quels eeufs auraient ete fecondes a tel moment par le male alcoolise.
Recevez, mon cher Monsieur, l'assurance de mes salutations empressees.
ALPH. DE CANDOLLE.
42, RUTLAND GATE, LONDON. Oct. 18/73
MY DEAR SIR, Thank you very much for your kind letter this morning telling me of your whereabouts this autumn. I heartily wish I could have managed to meet you in Paris or elsewhere, for I have much in hand at this moment concerning the topic which interests both of us so much, and which I hope to publish in 3 or 4 months.
My wife and myself passed our' summer in the heart of Germany, in the Thuringer Wald, and I there continually consoled myself with your prophecy that that tiresome German language is doomed to extinction, as one of the dominant tongues. That, and our atrocious English spelling ! for which I, not being a classical scholar, entertain no respect whatever !
Believe me very faithfully yours, FRANCIS GALTON.
I have just left the house of a friend, where I had paid a short visit at the same time as our mutual friend Dr Hooker,-who very shortly will occupy the most distinguished of English scientific posts, namely the Presidency of the Royal Society. He will be a most acceptable President over us.
To M. ALPHONSE DE CANDOLLE.
42, RUTLAND GATE, LONDON. May 5/74
MY DEAR SIR, A few weeks back I gave a lecture at our Royal Institution on the subject that interests both of us, and only delayed sending you a printed account of it in the hopes of sending at the same time another and different memoir, which however will not be in print for some time.
My lecture will reach you by book post, and I hasten to send it because I see that the Revue Scientifique has been so good as to publish a translation in French, which however does not render some phrases quite exactly and gives a small but decided modification to their meaning. When the book will be complete, to which this lecture is a prelude, I cannot say-but as soon as it is out, I will send you a copy for acceptance.
It seemed to be well worth while to select, as I have done, a group of men of the same nationality, similar education, race, religion, and period, in order to eliminate the disturbing influences of as many large variable causes as possible, and to bring out into stronger relief the effect of the residuum. I think you will be interested, when all the results are before you, in
