Summary

CD’s son Leonard of the Royal Engineers has applied to Sir George Biddell Airy to be an observer on the Venus Expedition. Leonard failed to mention his qualifications, which CD now relates with the request that HA draw them to his father’s attention.

Summary

Has entered a newspaper controversy with W. P. Lyon [Homo versus Darwin (1872)] who ascribes to CD the saying "natural selection is a kind of god that never slumbers nor sleeps". FWH does not believe CD made this statement.

Summary

William [Hooker] is in first division of matriculation list of London University.

Other family news.

No news on Ayrton affair. Ayrton has taken staff appointments out of JDH’s hands.

Asks whether CD knows about Zizania aquatica – can hardly believe it is an annual.

Summary

Thanks for information on sexual colours in pigeons.

Will send latest edition of Origin.

Summary

Explains that William Penman Lyon has misquoted CD in Lyon [1871].

Summary

Corrects a factual error in his previous letter [8418].

Sends specimens illustrative of the "nodal" question.

Summary

On ARW’s "crushing" review [Nature 6 (1872): 237–9] of C. R. Bree’s An exposition of fallacies in the hypothesis of Mr Darwin.

Comments on other reviews and exchanges.

Summary

Discusses the research for his paper on Arctic plant beds in the freshwater aquifers of Scania (Nathorst 1872).

Summary

He became entrapped in the W. Lyon controversy by defending CD against Frederic Bateman of Norwich.

As a religious man, FWH wants to apologise for the attacks CD has suffered in the name of religion.

Summary

Comments on FH’s paper ["Verbreitungsmittel der Compositenfrüchte", Bot. Ztg. 30 (1872): 1–14].

Discusses function of mucus filaments on seeds of Compositae and other plants.

Comments on Eugen Askenasy’s publication [Beiträge zur Kritik der Darwin’schen Lehre (1872)].

Comments on evolutionary views of Carl Nägeli.

Summary

Down parish and family matters.

Summary

Thanks CD for copy of Expression.

Agrees to observe expression in children born blind.

Summary

Many thanks for Expression. AG relates some relevant observations, the significance of which had previously escaped him.

Summary

Thanks for letter, in which CD cited [Anton] Kerner’s alpine observations.

Describes with diagrams the curious disposition of leaves on some Acacia twigs, and points out that his theory should account for these anomalies as well as normal cases.

Summary

Reports a monkey-like child in Teneriffe.

Summary

Discusses Mivart’s reply ["Genesis of species", North Am. Rev. 114 (1872): 451–68] to CW’s review and to Huxley.

Asks whether CD knows anyone to whom he could usefully send a copy of his phyllotaxy paper [Mem. Am. Acad. Arts & Sci. n.s. 9 (1867–73): 379–415].

Summary

Asks permission to translate Expression into German. Will superintend an Italian translation.

Informs CD of hornless fossil Bos etruscus and Miocene fossils of genus Sus [see Descent, 2d ed., pp. 505, 521].

Summary

Thanks for sending translation of A. W. Malm’s paper ["On flatfishes", K. Svensk. Vetensk. Akad. Handl. N. F. 7 (1867–8) no. 4]; thinks it establishes that eye migrates across surface of head rather than through the skull.

Considers the relationship between direction of locomotion and the presence of stalked eyes in Crustacea.

Summary

Comments on Descent.

Attempts to explain differing sex ratios in births from illegitimate unions, Jewish marriages, and Christian marriages.

Speculates on role of male and female elements in conception.

Thinks survival of individual conflicts in some degree with survival of species; for example, hybrids often live longer than fertile individuals.

Summary

CD insists too strongly, in Descent, on man’s origin from a simian ancestor, rather than some other primate.