Summary

His view of Huxley’s cutting Mivart without explanation. States his own intentions. Mivart’s apology in October Quarterly Review is abominable.

Has heard of a Drosophyllum in Edinburgh. Is it too late?

Summary

Regrets he is unable to republish Whitney’s article in the Contemporary Review. Would much appreciate an article from CD on the subject and suggests that CD might quote from Whitney to any extent he likes.

Summary

Praises WDW’s essay on language [North Am. Rev. 119 (1874): 61–88] which argues against Max Müller’s views and is a good defence against an attack made in Quarterly Review on CD’s short discussion of language.

Summary

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

Summary

JT had not known Lady Lubbock was ill. Will try to persuade her [to change physicians]. Agrees Andrew Clark is best.

Hooker has survived his crisis [death of his wife].

St G. J. Mivart’s act is a natural outflow of his character.

Summary

Asks JT to persuade Lady Lubbock to change physicians and put herself in the care of Andrew Clark. Thinks this alone will save her.

Summary

Asks CD to read and comment, for publication, on his forthcoming essay in Index on the evolution of conscience and morals through action and reaction between man and the moral environment.

Summary

Returns historical sketch [of GHD’s "cousin paper"?] with comments. "For Heavens sake put a sentence in some conspicuous place that your results seem to indicate that consanguineous marriage, as far as insanity is concerned, cannot be injurious in any very high degree."

Summary

Is not inclined to restrain himself from expressing his opinion of Mivart. Huxley’s article in Academy.

Summary

Coleoptera inhabiting ants’ nests. Means of colonisation of new nests.

Summary

Huxley strongly dissuades JDH from writing to Mivart because of his Presidency of Royal Society. JDH will hold his letter until he hears what Bentham says.

Summary

The review of EBT’s book ["Primitive Man: Tylor and Lubbock"] in the Quarterly Review [137: 40–77] last year contained a false and malicious attack on CD’s son George. CD knows it was written by St George Mivart. CD wishes to take every opportunity to say how false a man he considers him to be.

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

JDH wins over Douglas Galton and Lord Henry Lennox on assistant secretary for himself.

Has called on Murray and told him Quarterly Review had disgraced itself by attacking George and CD.

Summary

Thanks THH for his article in the Academy and his defence of CD and G. H. Darwin against Mivart. Still thinks he should write plainly to Mivart.

Summary

Advises GHD to get an eminent counsel. If counsel’s opinion is that the reviewer [Mivart, in "Primitive man", Q. Rev. 137 (1874): 40–77] has falsified GHD’s statements, GHD should send the opinion to the Quarterly Review and demand publication, and if refused publish elsewhere. Then CD must decide whether to cut John Murray [publisher of Q. Rev.] which will put CD in a nice perplexity [over his rights to the stereotyped editions of past works].

Summary

Thanks for Forms of flowers.

Summary

Acknowledges CD’s complaint against a paper [by St George Mivart] in the last Quarterly Review [see 9568]. Agrees to print George Darwin’s answer [see 9596].