Summary

When CD comes to London in ten days, he will "immediately call on you and explain why I cannot at once answer your question".

Summary

Informs CD that Oxford proposes to confer an honorary degree upon him.

Summary

Draws CD’s attention to a paper in American Naturalist [3 (1869): 109] describing honey-bees killed by entanglement in pollen-masses of Asclepias.

Summary

Hears CD may come to Oxford at Commencement to receive an honorary degree. Invites CD, his wife, and daughter to stay at his house. [CD declined Hon. D.C.L. on grounds of ill health.]

Summary

Publication Committee of Zoological Society has granted CD use of woodblock from the Society’s Proceedings.

Summary

Thanks FD for seeds of Canna.

Still thinks it would be worth FD’s while looking at the fertilisation of Lotus; does not think Frank Darwin has exaggerated the novelty of the contrivance.

Summary

Copies of the French translation of Orchids were sent to C. V. Naudin, Quatrefages de Bréau, and Charles Martins at CD’s request and to Duchartre, Brongniart, Baillon, Lecoq, Godron, and Alphonse de Candolle on Rérolle’s initiative.

Summary

Thanks AS for his kindness towards himself and his family. Looks back with great satisfaction to his last visit ("as it will probably prove") to Cambridge.

Summary

Asks to have observations made of a person retching violently, but ejecting nothing from stomach, in order to test relation between spasmodic contraction of orbicular muscles and tears. CD believes tears are caused by matter filling nostrils.

Summary

Two, perhaps all three, doe [rabbits] are sterile after the transfusions; will try another method.

Summary

Thanks for Trox beetles which have been forwarded [to London], but unfortunately CD has no microscope here. Is "in despair how to observe them … they sham dead" and are not inclined to stridulate.

Summary

Will send CD a deerhound puppy.

Reaffirms his statement that dogs in breeding form decided preferences toward each other, based on size, colour, or character.

Summary

Asks by what action CD believes bee, spider, and fly orchids came to resemble their namesakes

and how the beauty of bivalves could have been produced by natural or sexual selection.

Summary

Thanks CD for his help and encouragement in his series of experiments [to test Pangenesis].

Summary

French translation of Orchids is published.

Summary

Sends drawings of the foot of chicken showing swimming membrane.

Summary

[William Rathbone] Greg is author [of "Failure of ""natural selection"" in the case of man", Fraser’s Magazine 78 (1868): 353–62].

Comments on findings in J. M. Duncan [Fecundity, fertility, sterility and allied topics (1866)].

Saw A. D. Bartlett about monkeys.

Summary

Returns H. C. Watson’s letter.

CD must study JDH’s manner of arrangement of varieties and subspecies, etc.

Summary

Has sent F. Müller "a long screed" about the Passiflora.

Summary

Comments on new edition of EH’s book [Natürliche Schöpfungsgeschichte, 2d ed. (1870)].

Mentions his own book [Descent].

Visit by Kölliker.