Summary

Is sending through John Blunt a copy of the last geological report of the state of New York along with a short paper on the tornado that passed through the state of New Jersey in June 1835.

Summary

Sends notes on soundings made on coral banks in the China Sea.

His recent geological observations.

Finds a difficulty with CD’s erratic block theory.

Summary

Presents the account of Smith, Elder & Co. for the now published second and third numbers of the first part of the Zoology.

Summary

Acknowledges receipt of CD’s gift of the Journal of researches. Praises CD’s "ingenious" views.

Summary

Provides another case of apparently pure bred pointers producing litter with one setter puppy. Correspondent was told that this occurred in several litters; gives names of owners and others who can corroborate the information.

Summary

Thanks for information about blushing of idiots.

Case of pregnant woman "truly wonderful".

Thanks for photographs.

Has found London photographer, O. G. Rejlander, with passion for photographing expression.

Received information about iris of eye from F. C. Donders; shows contraction and dilation of pupil is very complex.

Summary

Comments on J. O. Westwood’s entomological nomenclature.

Discusses the organs for stridulation in Orthoptera [see Descent 1: 352ff].

Summary

Thanks for seeds. Feels "almost foiled" in his experiments on sea transport – has found few plants that float after more than a week’s immersion.

Sends a list of queries [see 1779] on hollyhocks to put to growers.

Summary

Introduces Syms Covington and recommends him for employment in Australia.

Summary

Asks correspondent whether, when growing hollyhocks, he finds it necessary to space out the different varieties to prevent crossing and thus to obtain true seed [see Variation 2: 108].

Summary

CD is led to believe there are no true permanently inbreeding, sexually reproducing beings. Thanks for replies to breeding questions.

Asks for clarification of Hippeastrum crosses: is selfing or crossing with individual of same species intended and was increased fertility due to constitution of foreign parent or due to the pollen coming from another plant? Has WH known any hybrid or mongrel to revert or to vary in a manner unlikely to be effect of soil?

Sends Journal of researches.

Summary

Asks correspondent if he would prefer the President’s signature alone or with those of other scientific men.

Summary

Glad to hear of MTM’s papers [? "On a peloria and semidouble flower of Ophrys aranifera, Huds.", J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Bot.) 8 (1865): 207–11 and "Observations on the morphology and anatomy of the genus Restio, Linn.", J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Bot.) 8 (1865): 211–55].

CD doubts the value, for origin of species, of parallels between peloria in "distinct groups".

Gärtner proved the stigma can select its own pollen from a mixture of foreign pollens. But much evidence shows varieties of same species are prepotent over a plant’s own pollen.

MTM’s father [William] believes that variation goes on for a long time once it has commenced.

Summary

Important issue at stake with new flora calculations: evidence that species are only strongly marked varieties. Planning large-scale survey.

Summary

Asks CL to address a letter to Charles Maclaren.

Discusses recent publication by David Milne on erratic boulders [Edinburgh New Philos. J. 42 (1847): 154–172].

Views of Bernhard Studer on foliation of gneiss in the Alps. Asks CL to tell Leonard Horner of Studer’s views.

Summary

Asks to borrow several Floras. Must redo calculations as John Lubbock has shown him an important error.

Summary

A newly-elected Fellow sends a signed obligation and subscription to CD as Secretary of the Geological Society of London.

Summary

Submits the account of Smith, Elder & Co. for the third number of part two and second number of part three of the Zoology.

Summary

Is attempting to sum up the two theories impartially and must raise all the difficulties with each. More on his differences with CD.