Summary

Must prepare new edition of Origin.

Discusses structure of beehives. Mentions writings of Chauncey Wright on bees’ cells ["Remarks on the architecture of bees", Proc. Am. Acad. Arts & Sci. 4 (1857–60): 432–3].

Summary

Discusses measurements of bees’ cells.

Summary

Thanks WHM for information about honeycombs. Discusses his own measurements of combs.

Summary

Glacial action in the Andes.

Origin of Chilean sheep.

Varieties of S. American horses.

Summary

Gives an extract from L. von Buch on the flora of the Canaries [Physikalische Beschreibung der Canarische Inseln (1825)].

Natural selection does not explain why animals of different groups in the same place often resemble each other.

Summary

Is sick of hostile reviews but they have helped in showing where he must expatiate and expand in new edition of Origin.

Has more confidence in the general truth of his view. Disappointed THH does not think it more probable than he did at first.

Summary

Asks again how great a hurry there is for new edition [of Origin, 3d ed.]. Corrections will enlarge volume by a dozen or twenty pages, plus a short historical sketch. Would like "With Corrections" in title.

Summary

"You cannot tell how much your paper on Gestation has interested me" ["On some unusual modes of gestation in batrachians and fishes", Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 27 (1859): 5–13].

Robert McDonnell has made curious discoveries on electrical organs of rays.

Is giving JW’s hog case in corrected ed. [3d] of Origin.

Would like account of tip of tail of young rattlesnake.

Summary

Sale of Origin requires new edition [3d (Apr 1861)].

Further discussion of geological elevation and subsidence in Europe. Compares evidence to that of South America. His theory that semi-fluid matter underlies earth’s crust.

Mentions David Forbes’s explanation of South American nitrate deposits.

Has followed CL’s advice not to reply directly to reviewers.

Summary

Thanks for information on cave rat.

CD is obliged for news of J. D. Dana’s recovery.

Will use BS’s information about cave rat in revised [3d] edition of Origin.

Summary

Third edition of Origin will answer reviewers.

Drosera experiments detailed.

Hopes for W. H. Harvey’s conversion.

Summary

Thanks THH for his note; pleased by what he says. Is too sensitive about shades of opinion of men like THH.

The Macmillan article on Origin [H. Fawcett, "A popular exposition of Mr Darwin on the origin of species", Macmillan’s Mag. 3 (1860): 81–92].

J. E. Gray’s misunderstanding of Origin.

Account of the encounter at Oxford BAAS meeting.

Summary

Reminds JM that copies of diagram must be printed off [for Origin, 3d ed.]. It must be carefully reproduced or parts of the book will be as unintelligible as Hebrew. Hopes never again to have to make so many additions in order that many rather stupid reviewers will at least understand what he meant.

There is a good article on the Origin in Macmillan’s Magazine [by Henry Fawcett].

Summary

Henry Fawcett’s article on Origin [Macmillan’s Mag. 3 (1860): 81–92] quotes JDH’s Oxford speech.

Summary

Discusses Origin, suggesting confirmation might come from studying reproduction in microscopic organisms.

Gives anecdotal observations of blind rats and white cats.

Summary

Expresses his admiration for HF’s review of Origin in Macmillan’s Magazine (Fawcett 1860).

Summary

JDH’s page-by-page criticisms on Origin, first edition, as requested by CD for preparation of the third edition.

Summary

Asks identity of [Henry] Fawcett, who wrote a capital article on the Origin in Macmillan’s Magazine [3 (1860): 81–92], "A popular exposition of Mr Darwin".

Summary

CD may be interested in a reference to a method of detecting 1/195000 of a grain of sodium chloride.

Also, on Drosera, suggests it would be interesting to try substances such as gun-cotton, in which nitrogen is in very different states from a salt of ammonia.

Summary

Orders several volumes: Mémoires du Muséum national d’histoire naturelle 8 (1822), Edinburgh Philosophical Journal 14 (1826), and BAAS Report containing Owen’s Presidential Address [1858, pp. xli–cx].