Summary

HW has confirmed the report in the Times of a shower of fish (minnows and sticklebacks) that fell on the Wedgwood colliery.

Summary

Much concerned by death of JBI’s mother.

Summary

Development of aphids; apparent absence of vermiform stage.

Summary

Has finished geographical distribution chapter and asks JDH to read it.

Is it just to say embryological characters are of high importance in plant classification?

Summary

Sends payment for poultry received.

Summary

Will read JDH’s printers’ slips on variation.

CD has been so ill, he wonders whether he will get his book done, though so nearly completed.

Summary

Sends THH questions about "serial homologies" and "vegetative repetition" in Mollusca and Radiata.

Abstract volume [Origin] nearly completed.

Summary

Wants examples of insects (especially Diptera) in which embryo resembles adult, to show that the metamorphic stages may be lost.

Summary

Serial homologies in the Mollusca. Gives instances of repetition of homological parts in Radiata.

Summary

Outlines the basic categories of phanerogams.

Places Gymnospermae in the dicotyledons.

Evaluates the variable utility of embryological characters in plant classification.

Summary

Sends MS [of Origin] on geographical distribution. Wants JDH to correct facts and say what he most vehemently objects to.

Has received JDH’s note on plant embryology.

Summary

Thanks for THH’s examples of serially modified and homologous parts in Radiata. Cannot understand how he forgot such cases.

Agassiz’s Essay on classification [1859] utterly impracticable rubbish.

Summary

Writes of events at Down: mostly of playing billiards on their new table.

Summary

Will finish last chapter (except recapitulation) tomorrow.

Pleased with JDH’s response to geographical distribution chapter;

CD disagrees with Lyell’s view that glacial epoch is connected with position of continents.

Summary

Embryology of Diptera. Development of insects; metamorphosis. JL feels all insects go through metamorphosis but that in some of them, part takes place before birth.

Summary

Wants JL’s opinion on paper by L. J. M. Dufour ["Études anatomiques sur les insectes diptères de la famille des pupipares", C. R. Hebd. Acad. Sci. 19 (1844): 1345–55].

Summary

Is correcting chapters [of Origin] for press.

Health has been wretched of late.

He values fame to a certain extent, but "if I know myself, I work from a sort of instinct to try to make out truth".

Summary

Has heard that CL has spoken to John Murray about publication [of Origin]. Encloses prospective title-page. Asks whether he ought to tell John Murray about unorthodoxy of the book.

Summary

Requests receipt for payments to Society in 1858–9.

Summary

CD is grateful to CL for his help in arranging with Murray for publication [of Origin]. Sorry Murray objects to term "abstract" in title, but will defer to him and CL.