Summary

Testimonial for James Archer, who leaves CD’s service after six months.

Summary

A cheque written out for FD has never been presented to CD’s bankers.

Summary

Requests 50 copies of his paper ["Offspring of illegitimate unions of di- and trimorphic plants", J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Bot.) 10 (1869): 393–437].

Summary

Encloses some queries.

Would also like information about proportion of male to female humming-birds.

Reference to OS’s paper in Ibis, vol. 2.

Summary

Progress of CD’s order for certain books.

Summary

Resigns curacy of Down.

Summary

Is glad FM approves of a translation of Für Darwin.

Hopes FM will think well of Pangenesis.

Sexual differences in insect auditory and stridulating organs.

Read FM’s paper on Balanus with great interest ["On Balanus armatus", Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 4th ser. 1 (1868): 393–412].

Summary

Thinks SJOH is right not to return to Down. Asks him to forward certain documents. Hopes final arrangements will soon be made for a resident clergyman in Down.

Summary

Plumage of canaries; changes in plumage with successive moults.

Summary

As JS’s powers of observation seem to exist in all lines, CD begs further information from him and [H. N. B.] Erskine about the natives’ expressions of indignation, affirmation, and negation. The movements of the eyebrows and forehead of a girl in violent grief are of particular interest.

Do sub-breeds of pigeons exist in India as in Europe, but not in England? If so, what is the colour of the plumage in males and females at different stages of development?

Summary

Suggests variation in seed-covering membranes as a cause of variation in plants.

Summary

Asks about camouflage of birds in the Sahara desert.

Summary

Sends specimens of Coleoptera.

Quotes from W. F. Erichson [Naturgeschichte der Insecten Deutschlands 3: 927] on stridulating organs in Trox.

Summary

Horrified to find he has forgotten to announce birth of daughter.

Summary

Sorry JJW cannot visit.

Will go to sea-side for five weeks at end of July.

Does Vidua have double annual moult? [See Descent 2: 181.]

Summary

Congratulations on birth of daughter. CD used to dread birth-time.

Sexual selection has turned out to be a large subject.

Summary

Will answer CD’s queries when he returns home in a month.

Summary

Discusses possible English translation of A. E. Brehm’s [Illustrirtes] Thierleben [1864–9].

Asks for permission to use 15 of Brehm’s illustrations [in Descent].

Summary

Thanks BDW for new facts about Anthocaris [see 6156].

Asks BDW to observe stridulation apparatus in male and female lamellicorns.

Summary

F. Müller’s corrections warrant stating that the English translation has "additions and corrections by the author".

Is gratified to hear his index [to Variation] is considered a good one.

Ernst Haeckel’s book [Generelle Morphologie (1868)], though speculative, strikes him as "one of the most remarkable books of our time".