Summary

Seeks HH’s support for Hooker in JDH’s difficulties with A. S. Ayrton and the Ministry of Works [see Nature 6 (1872): 211–16].

Summary

Answers CD’s questions.

Reception of Descent. Evolution accepted everywhere; descent of man accepted calmly.

Morocco plans.

Fears for Huxley, who is overworked.

Summary

Thanks for information about Henslow’s mouse.

Summary

Sends Hibiscus

and enclosure [Queries about expression?] on chance of "any point being observed" in Morocco.

Murray informs him edition of Descent will probably be 6500 copies.

Summary

He did observe that Ophrys apifera fertilised itself as CD described and O. lutea as well.

Moroccans are too civilised, taciturn, and unfriendly to make anything of them for expressions of emotions.

Moraines and negative results on Atlas alpine flora are the only points of the journey worth much.

Summary

Identifies Henslow’s mouse that used tail as prehensile climbing organ as Mus messorius.

Has not seen the Quarterly Review.

Inquires after Lyell’s health.

Summary

H. Holland keeps strongly to the opinion that Kew be under the Treasury, and will recommend this to Lowe.

Summary

Delighted to hear from Lyell of JDH’s return from successful ascent of the Atlas Mts.

Fears JDH found no Madeira or Canary types, but CD is pleased at his moraine discovery.

Thinks Lyell’s health is serious.

Summary

Differences in violet and honeysuckle cases.

Huxley basted Thomson awfully in Section D [of BAAS].

Summary

Henry Holland is taking an active part in helping JDH in the Ayrton affair.

Summary

Philosophical Club dinner.

Lyell contradicts W. B. Carpenter on current in Straits of Gibraltar.

James Orton’s report on fossil shells found by L. Agassiz 2000 miles up the Amazon. Their identification disposes of the glacial hypothesis.

No news yet from Gladstone on Ayrton affair.

Summary

Hooker admires THH’s review of Mivart [see 7977]. Most impressed by THH’s handling of metaphysics.

Hooker’s problems: family health and A. S. Ayrton [Commissioner of Works].

Summary

Has read Thomson’s address with "greatest interest", but JDH has said exactly what he [CD] thinks of it.

Herschel’s was a good sneer. It made him add the Raphael Madonna simile in Descent [2: 142].

Summary

Cannot come to lunch to meet Sir Henry Holland. Holland may have seen Robert Lowe [Lord Sherbrooke] already. Will CD let him know his views?

Summary

JDH has no intention of resigning. Thinks W. E. Gladstone would rather see Ayrton turned out than himself. Gladstone knows JDH has friends who would be troublesome. Only moral and political cowardice of Cabinet keeps Ayrton in office.

Lyell is much altered since autumn.

Has CD read Charles Martins’ paper on the glacial origin of the tourbières of the Jura [Arch. Sci. Phys. & Nat. 42 (1871): 286–308]?

John Scott has an admirable series on horticulture in Bengal ["Notes on horticulture in Bengal", J. Agric. & Hortic. Soc. India 2 (1871) pt 1: 241–96; 3 (1872) pt 1: 1–82].

Summary

Is preparing new edition of Origin [6th] in which he will introduce new chapter to answer Mivart’s criticisms. Mivart is unfair: suppresses facts in CD’s later editions.

Sends article [by Chauncey Wright, see 7940] reviewing Genesis of species.

Mivart writes to CD full of respect, but reviles him in print.

Summary

Asks name of an Abutilon from Fritz Müller.

Questions about Drosophyllum for experiments;

the meaning of "Sirdar".

Wonderful success of Descent. Astonished by liberality of public. No abuse yet.

Marvels at JDH’s plans for a trip to Morocco. Asks him to look for alpine insects.

Summary

Sends proofs of Huxley’s article on Mivart, to be published in Contemporary Review ["Mr Darwin’s critics", 18 (1871): 443–76].

Summary

Sorry to hear of JDH’s troubles;

pleased he thinks so highly of Huxley’s article [see 7977].

Huxley makes CD feel infantile in intellect (as JDH once said of himself). CD is not so good a Christian as JDH thinks, for he did enjoy his revenge on Mivart.

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.