Summary

E. R. Lankester is in danger of being black-balled for admission to the Linnean Society; Thiselton-Dyer is in the midst of the fight.

Summary

The house at Barmouth.

His poor health.

Bentham’s interesting Linnean Society Address ["On geographical biology", Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. (1869): lxv–c].

CD particularly wishes to know how botanists agreed with zoologists on distribution.

Still thinks isolation more important in preserving old forms than Bentham is inclined to believe.

Summary

CD gives his definition of "highness" and "lowness" as "morphological differentiation" from a common embryo or archetype. JDH’s view, with which CD agrees when it can be applied, is the same as Milne-Edwards’, i.e., the physiological division of labour. There is little agreement among zoologists and CD admits his own lack of clarity.

Summary

Mustering support at Royal Society Council for John Lindley’s Copley Medal. CD thinks Albany Hancock deserves a Royal Medal.

Summary

Has heard JDH does not return until tomorrow, so will not be able to see him at Kew but hopes to do so at Oxford meeting of BAAS.

Bunbury and Falconer strongly against idea of coal being submarine.

Summary

Requests water-lily pods to count, weigh, and to germinate some of the seeds of the crossed and uncrossed pods.

Hopes Haeckel did not bore him.

Summary

On Lubbock’s plans.

Visited by Antoine Auguste Laugel.

Guessed right on Bentham’s "Planchon".

Much struck by Thomson’s article on nomenclature [see 4812]; importance of this subject.

Sorry best scientists read so little; few read any long papers.

Summary

Ill health.

At work on Variation.

Reading JDH on Welwitschia.

Letter from Lyell defends his position on species.

Anger at Owen.

John Lubbock’s lectures.

Summary

CD’s list of fifteen converts. His opinions on opponents and supporters.

Summary

Solicits JDH and others at Kew for signatures to nomination of Francis Darwin for membership of Linnean Society.

Summary

Ernst Haeckel writes that young German scientists are enthusiastic for natural selection.

Did JDH write the article in Natural History Review on trees not producing flowers ["Botanical lesson books", (1864): 355–69]?

Encourages Harvey to publish on his "disagreeable" monster plants.

Summary

Requests CD’s evaluation of the work of the entomologist Robert McLachlan, who is up for F.R.S. in competition with the physiologist A. H. Garrod.

Summary

Introduces Ernst Haeckel.

Lyell sent same chapters to CD, who thinks them very good but is not convinced that changes of land and water will do all he thinks.

Summary

Will explain about the so-called hybrids of Lythrum when they meet.

JDH should not be proposed for Copley Medal this year because Royal Society Council has so few naturalists on it.

Summary

JDH battling with Lyell over treatment of species question in Antiquity of man. Distressed by Lyell’s raising false priority issue between JDH and CD. Falconer involved in a priority squabble.

Summary

Owen wants to be civil, and sneer behind CD’s back.

Those, like Rudolph Wagner, who want to go halfway on theory, are "booked to go further".

Anatomy of orchids.

Huxley says K. E. von Baer goes "a great way with me".

Summary

Answers JDH’s questions on connection of SE. England and continent,

on the effect of breaking the Isthmus of Panama,

and on Madeira flora as remnant of Tertiary flora.

Cautionary remarks for JDH on his "Insular floras" speech, designed to strengthen case of "occasional migration" theory.

Summary

With scientific party to Amiens to look at gravel-pits, the geology of which JDH describes at length.

Summary

Whether or not there should be movement of particles according to Tyndall’s theory of glacial action ["Observations on glaciers", Not. Proc. R. Inst. G. B. 2: 54–8, 441–3].

CD subscribes to H. C. Sorby’s view of gneiss [Edinburgh New Philos. J. 55 (1853): 137–50].

Seed-salting.

Pigeons.

Significant differences in skeletons of domesticated rabbits.

Summary

Falconer’s elephant paper.

Owen’s conduct.

Falconer’s view of CD’s theory: independence of natural selection and variation.

JDH on Tocqueville,

the principles of the Origin,

and the evils of American democracy.