Summary

Encourages FG to carry out investigation [of spiritualism]. However, his own health is too uncertain to accept Daniel Dunglas Home’s offer. Discusses possibility of reproducing Crookes’s apparatus for sale.

Summary

Agrees to care for FG’s rabbits and will breed from them.

Plans to go to Southampton for ten days.

Summary

George Snow, the carrier, now leaves Nag’s Head on Thursday mornings.

Summary

Alteration in the arrangements for the carrier to collect the rabbit from FG and bring it to Down.

Summary

The carrier will call at University College on Thursday 15 August.

Summary

Rabbits’ coats true in character. If the next ones are true, it is superfluous to keep trying.

Does not know why crying children rub eyes with knuckles.

Mentions FG’s article on prayer ["Statistical inquiries into the efficacy of prayer", Fortn. Rev. n.s. 12 (1872): 125–35].

Summary

F. M. Balfour wants to experiment on Pangenesis. Asks FG to recommend coloured rabbits that breed true.

Summary

Comments on FG’s article ["Hereditary improvement", Fraser’s Mag. 87 (1873): 116–30]. Finds it "the sole feasible, yet I fear utopian, plan of procedure in improving the human race".

Thanks for rabbits for Balfour.

Mentions reading W. R. Greg’s Enigmas [of life (1872)].

Summary

Comments about questionnaire CD completed for FG [for Galton’s English men of science (1874)].

Describes his early interest in collecting and his education.

Asks about determining the mean heights of two groups of men.

Summary

Interested to hear about the peas.

Summary

Thinks CD’s case of twins with crooked fingers may be one from his twin study.

Summary

Sends a lecture CD wished to see

and corrects himself about the twins.

Summary

Outlines a memoir he will give at the Anthropological Society in which he differs theoretically with Pangenesis.

Summary

Sends a proof of his "Theory of heredity" from the Contemporary Review [27 (1875): 80–95; revised in J. Anthropol. Inst. 5 (1876): 329–48]. Welcomes CD’s help and criticism.

Summary

Responds to suggestions and criticisms CD made to "theory of heredity" [see 10245].

Summary

Thanks for the peas which arrived in "beautiful order".

Summary

Outlines in simple form the statistical distribution of inherited characteristics in a theory of "organic units".

Summary

Sends packets of seeds of peas of different sizes [i.e., weights] for CD’s experiments; identifies size of the seeds that produced them. FG is experimenting "in the same direction" and is curious how his results will compare with CD’s.

Summary

Gives another instance of curious habit in the Butler family.

Summary

Would like to see essay [on effects of conscription in France, see 10774]. Knows of Swiss memoir to the same effect. Author says Swiss yeomen apt to leave homestead to sickly son. Landed populations deteriorate.