Summary

CD is glad to hear of nature of JF’s work;

proposes that JF call when CD comes to London.

Has read JF’s attack on Agassiz ["Agassiz and Darwinism"] in Popular Science Monthly [3 (1873): 692–705].

Summary

Thanks for ESM’s paper ["On the systematic position of the Brachiopoda", Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. 15 (1873): 315–72]. "What a wonderful change … to look at these ""shells"" as ""worms""."

Summary

Thanks for J. D. MacDonald’s paper ["Distribution of invertebrata", Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 21 (1872–3): 218–23].

CD feels lines of genetic connection between animals offer a most difficult problem; Ernst Haeckel may have done mischief by facing the difficulty.

Summary

Is drawing up the account of his crossing experiments. Requests JDH to add the families after nine genera, the names of which he encloses. Whenever there is no objection he would like to arrange the families in some sort of natural order.

Recommends Spalding’s article on instinct in Macmillan’s Magazine [27 (1873): 265–81].

Summary

Asks Murray not to announce Cross and self-fertilisation.

Summary

Will reread and consider TG’s letter when his health improves.

Summary

Recounts instances suggesting that animals have a sense of direction.

Summary

Thanks CL for copy of Antiquity of man [4th ed. (1873)]; will read the modified or new parts.

Summary

Anxious to have GHD come home because of his poor health. Recommends Huxley’s physician (Andrew Clark) – an advocate of milk diet.

Summary

Discusses two factors possibly causing modification of body or mind of an organism; habit and direct action of external conditions on the one hand, and selection, natural or artificial, on the other; considers their relative importance.

Summary

Has sent JDH’s letter to Nature ["Perception in ants", Nature 7 (1873): 443–4].

Sons recall kindness received from JDH and others in America.

Summary

CD has discovered correspondent intends to present a petition to the House of Commons on which CD’s is the sole signature. Asks that his name be erased unless other signatures are added.

Summary

Starts tomorrow for visit to Farrer and Effie [Euphemia Farrer, daughter of Hensleigh Wedgwood]. Has not done such a feat [i.e., staying as a guest of someone outside the immediate family?] for 25 years.

Has been half killing himself with Drosera.

Summary

Sends HA’s paper ["On leaf arrangement"] with a supporting note [from CD] to Royal Society.

Summary

Thanks for strange debate, which CD returns. Principle of evolution has first-rate supporters in [Edward Sylvester?] Morse and Theodore Nicholas Gill.

Summary

Thanks FMM for his "Lectures [on Mr Darwin’s philosophy of language", Fraser’s Mag. n.s. 7 (1873): 525–41, 659–78].

CD is not worthy to be FMM’s adversary as he knows very little about language and, being fully convinced man is descended from some lower animal, he is forced to believe a priori that language has developed from inarticulate cries.

Summary

Thanks for copy of translation of Variation

and the "admirable work on the microscopical structure of rock" [C. G. Ehrenberg, Mikrogeologische Studien (1873)].

Summary

Asks JDH to inquire of gardeners at Kew what they think about injury to plants from watering during sunshine. Wishes to experiment. He is already convinced that drops of water do not act as burning lenses.

Summary

Has read letters and MS with great interest.

No ill effects from JD’s visit.

Summary

The Huxley fund amounts to £1955. CD trembles about THH’s answer.