Summary

Comments on review of EH’s Anthropogenie [1874].

Mentions recent work of Huxley and other scientists.

Summary

JT had not known Lady Lubbock was ill. Will try to persuade her [to change physicians]. Agrees Andrew Clark is best.

Hooker has survived his crisis [death of his wife].

St G. J. Mivart’s act is a natural outflow of his character.

Summary

Has finished the "cousin paper" and will offer it to W. Farr for the Statistical Society.

Describes other work in progress.

Has CD heard of A. M. Mayer’s curious work on audition of insects [Am. J. Sci. 3d ser. 8 (1874): 89–103?]

Summary

Praises JF’s book [Cosmic philosophy (1874)].

Has long wished to understand H. Spencer but is not convinced by him and some others. CD cannot trust deduction from a starting principle, as his mind is so fixed by the inductive method.

Summary

Has not heard from Mivart. He is not so good a Christian as JDH and cannot forgive a man for malicious lying merely because he says he is sorry. Does not think Mivart will apologise. Still thinks the simple, most manly thing, is to write to Mivart directly and tell him what he thinks of him.

Summary

Thanks for his Methods of ethics [1874].

Summary

Discusses his Anthropogenie [1874]. Remarks on the tables.

Has CD received Friedrich von Hellwald’s Culturgeschichte [1875]?

Plans research trip to the Mediterranean.

Summary

Cannot help with Pinguicula or Utricularia. Mrs Mary Treat is studying Utricularia.

Forwards his short piece on duration of varieties [New York Tribune 8 Dec 1874; Am. J. Sci. 3d ser. 9 (1875): 109–14].

Summary

Thanks THH and Hooker for defending George Darwin against Mivart’s libel.

Summary

Expresses his gratitude to JDH and Huxley in the Mivart affair. Thinks he should write directly to Mivart, if Mivart does not retract.

Would be glad to have another Drosophyllum.

Summary

K. G. Semper’s article ["On the relationship of the Vertebrata and Annelida", Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 15 (1875): 94–5] is ill-natured. Misinterprets facts already discovered by F. M. Balfour.

Has been working on Amphioxus. Puts his theory of vertebrate skulls on firm footing at last.

Summary

Has gone over Huxley’s letter, thinks it a model. All must now await developments. If Mivart does not apologise, JDH will write to him.

Summary

His view of Huxley’s cutting Mivart without explanation. States his own intentions. Mivart’s apology in October Quarterly Review is abominable.

Has heard of a Drosophyllum in Edinburgh. Is it too late?

Summary

THH’s letter to Mivart is "tremendous". CD’s feelings and intentions about the matter.

If THH has made out homology of the skull, it is grandest discovery in years.

Summary

Returns historical sketch [of GHD’s "cousin paper"?] with comments. "For Heavens sake put a sentence in some conspicuous place that your results seem to indicate that consanguineous marriage, as far as insanity is concerned, cannot be injurious in any very high degree."

Summary

Thanks for work on Lacerta muralis coerulea [Zoologische Studien auf Capri 2 (1874)].

Summary

Explains that his letter had to do with how he should act publicly to Mivart if he retracted. He would not forgive him. If he does not retract, it would no longer be possible to keep him Secretary of the Linnean Society.

Drosophyllum will be sent when weather permits.

Summary

Asks JDH to help G. J. Romanes, who wishes to try Pangenesis experiment.

Summary

Probably a discussiion of J. D. Hooker’s feelings after death of his wife, Frances Harriet, on 13 November 1874: the letter is badly damaged.

Summary

Thanks AD-P for the copy of his work [see 9756].