Summary

Responds to CD’s two objections to the principles involved in the "Rules of zoological nomenclature": (1) that strict enforcement of the rule of priority would cause much inconvenience, and (2) attaching name of the first describer in perpetuity puts a premium on careless description by "species mongers".

Summary

J. B. Innes is greatly obliged for JSH’s letter. JSH’s observation of chalk flints strikes CD as "very curious".

Summary

Physical description of Sikkim mountains.

Travelling through Kinchin snows.

Transported boulders.

Summary

Has finished long paper on "Climbing plants". Prefers sending it to Linnean Society if Bentham does not think it too long.

For New Zealand flora [1864–7] CD suggests JDH count plants with irregular corollas and compare with England.

Does not quite agree about Reader.

Is Tyndall author of piece on spiritualism?

CD’s illness diagnosed as "suppressed gout".

Summary

Describes his research on cirripedes: an "anatomical and systematic catalogue". Asks to borrow specimens.

Summary

Thanks JWL for the use of a schoolroom.

Arranges to meet JWL’s son [John] to discuss use of microscope.

Mentions illness.

Thanks JWL for his paper ["Shooting stars", London Edinburgh & Dublin Philos. Mag. 32 (1848): 81–8, 170–2; 35 (1849): 356–7].

Summary

Agrees to subscribe £1 toward the portrait of a bishop of Norwich.

Summary

Criticises at length the concept of submerged continents attaching islands to the mainland in the recent period. Notes drastic alteration of geography required, the dissimilar species on opposite shores of continents, and differences between volcanic islands and mountains of mainland areas. Admits sea-bed subsidence, but not enough to engulf continents. Denies that theory can explain island flora and fauna.

Considers Edward Forbes’s idea a check on study of dissemination of species.

Summary

Gratified by JDD’s opinion of his work.

Discusses problem of homologies of cirripede larva in first stage and reasons for his view.

JDD’s information on corals was just what CD needed.

Would like specimen of blind cave rat described by B. Silliman [Jr] ["On the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky", Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 11 (1851): 336] for Waterhouse to examine.

Discusses origin of Australian valleys; he disagrees with JDD’s river-erosion hypothesis.

Summary

"Read a letter from Mr Darwin expressing his regret that the state of his health would not permit of his writing an Introductory Chapter to the Translation of Gaertner’s work [Bastarderzeugung im Pflanzenreich (1849)]."

Summary

Discusses capacity of some cirripedes to bore into rock.

Mentions Alcippe specimens borrowed from AH.

Relation of sexes in Ibla and Scalpellum.

Summary

Thanks AH for specimens of Alcippe.

Discusses capacity of Lithotrya to bore its own hole. Believes Arthrobalanus also makes cavities this way.

Asks to see paper on cirripedes by Sven Lovén.

Comments on paper by AH [see 1253].

Summary

Describes his experiments on Nepenthes; finds action analogous to that in Drosera.

Summary

Grieved at JDD’s illness. Recommends water-cure. Describes his own illness.

The reception of Origin has been more successful than he dreamed.

Summary

Has altered and added to HES’s list [compiled for Bibliographia zoologiæ et geologiæ, edited by Louis Agassiz and enlarged by HES, (1848–54)].

On zoological nomenclature CD cites a case in which he believes more harm than good would be done by following the rule of priority. Thinks the rule of the first describer’s name being attached in perpetuity to a species has been the greatest curse to natural history. Every genus of cirripedes has a half-dozen names and not one careful description.

Sends a paper he once wrote [missing] on the subject [of zoological nomenclature].

Summary

The priority rule has only diverted vanity to a rush to be first. Has no objection to CD’s suggestion that good books be quoted in preference to first descriptions if there is a chance by this means of developing this silly vanity into ambition to advance knowledge. Still, this must not affect the rule of priority. Responds to CD’s four cases.

Summary

Thanks WAL for specimens and observations [on scarlet runner beans]. CD is perplexed whether to account for the changes as due to simple variation or to crossing. The information will be used when he finally comes to a conclusion on the subject [see Cross and self-fertilisation, p. 151].

Summary

Will order Progress and poverty. Comments on ARW’s political interests and his own absorption in W. Graham’s The creed of science.

His sojourn at Ullswater: "life has become very wearisome to me".

Summary

In London HM was too harassed by his wife to write; has gone home and is much bothered by his father. Looks for a place as a private tutor. Remains CD’s devoted friend.