The Friends of Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin to Albany Hancock, 12th February, 1853

My dear Sir

I will begin a summary of what I have been able to make out on Alcippe, imagining you feel interest enough to read my scrawl: you must believe, that I express myself positively only for brevity sake. […]

Female organs of generation, all quite normal, as described under the Lepadidæ. The ovigerous fræna are very large & are destitute (as in some species of Pollicipes) of glands: they probably serve as Branchiæ, as well as the universally admitted Branchiæ in sessile cirripedes, of which they are the homologues.

Male organs none, except a rudiment of penis in normal position between & on ventral side of 6^th cirrus.

Farbeit from me to criticise Charles Darwin on any front, but what kind of saddo spends his birthday writing about the sexual organs of barnacles?

Having said that, what kind of saddo spends his birthday blogging about somebody else writing about the sexual organs of barnacles?

I'm off down the pub!