Summary

Müller has sent Chips [from a German workshop (1867–75)] and a boring defence against WDW’s attack. GHD feels he is maligned for using the weight of CD’s name in his Contemporary Review article. CD says Müller has misinterpreted a letter from CD as supporting him in his controversy with WDW.

Summary

Thanks for copy of lecture (Rusden 1874: Selection, natural and artificial, a lecture delivered in the Wangaratta Athenaeum by Mr. H. K. Rusden on Monday, October 26th, 1874) and essay (Rusden 1872: The treatment of criminals in relation to science, an essay read before the Royal Society of Victoria).

Comments on the essay.

Summary

Has gone over Huxley’s letter, thinks it a model. All must now await developments. If Mivart does not apologise, JDH will write to him.

Summary

On the "doubtful & obscure" subject of marriage of cousins, CD believes, that judging from the analogy of animals, no direct evil would follow from their marriage. He would, however, expect the offspring of unrelated parents to be somewhat superior in size and vigour. The injury from the increase of any bad tendency common to the family seems to CD more to be feared than mere consanguinity; "the good effects of crossing distinct families I look at as great & undoubted".

Summary

Sends thanks for a newspaper abstract; will be pleased to see the paper [probably "Economy as a phonetic force", Trans. Am. Philological Assoc.8 (1877): 123–34] when printed.

Sends his own ["Biographical sketch of an infant"], saying it is of little value, the observations having been made before recent advances in philology.

Summary

Thanks for CD’s son’s observations

and for allowing DAS to visit Down.

Summary

Looks forward to a visit from JVC and family in August.

Sheets of vol. 1 of Descent [2d ed.] are going to printer;

new edition of Coral reefs is half printed.

Summary

Returns and sends comments on Clarke Hawkshaw’s essay ‘The persistence of forms of life in the depths of the sea’.

Summary

Letter [to editor of Contemp. Rev.] saying that W. D. Whitney would like to reply to Max Müller. Hopes space can be given him.

Summary

Gives an example of the power of reasoning shown by dogs.

Summary

LD has misplaced some figures on which he was to work.

Summary

Heavily correcting sheets for Coral reefs, 2d ed. [1874]. Offers to pay extra printer’s charges.

Summary

Consults about the wisdom of Frank’s becoming CD’s assistant rather than practising medicine.

Outlines his finances.

[Copy in EAD’s hand.]

Summary

Thanks CD for copy of Examiner.

Fear of communism is making CD’s theory popular among possessing classes.

Describes reception of Lyell’s Antiquity of man among German country people.

Summary

Is provoked by trouble he is having writing Insectivorous plants.

Curious case of an unknown form of Glaucium in earth covered with slag for 1400 years.

Summary

Would like recipient to ask inmates whether they are offspring of cousin marriages.

Summary

StGJM’s article in the Quarterly Review [137 (1874): 40–77] contains wholly false and malicious accusations against CD’s son George. Since StGJM has refused to make any sort of retraction, CD will not hold any future communication with him.

Summary

Thanks THH and Hooker for defending George Darwin against Mivart’s libel.

Summary

Thanks for a paper on the reproductive organs of fish.

Has always admired AWM’s work on the Pleuronectidae (Bidrag till kännedom af Pleuronektoidernas utveckling och byggnad (Contribution to knowledge of the development and structure of the Pleuronectidae); Malm 1867).

Summary

Requests help for George Darwin’s investigation of marriages of first cousins. Seeks to determine proportion of first-cousin offspring among the insane, deaf and dumb, blind, etc.