Summary

Urges CD to repent and seek salvation through Christ.

Summary

A poem, "Burns to Darwin".

Summary

Sends two waste sheets of MS of Descent; Miss F can cut out any portion she likes.

Summary

Would be pleased if CD called.

Summary

Sends two books detailing a new medical method that will produce "a state of health & vigour on every occasion & in every instance" and is applicable to "the entire circle of animated nature" [William Hibbert, Important discovery. Hibbert’s new theory and practice of medicine (1870) and The new theory and practice of medicine (1870)]. The volumes apply to animals and man. Subsequent books will detail the method for insects and plants.

[Letter erroneously addressed to E. A. Darwin, and forwarded by EAD to CD.]

Summary

Verses on the Origin and Descent.

Summary

Returns pamphlets.

B. T. Lowne’s observation [Mon. Microsc. J. 4 (1870): 326–30] that boiling does not kill certain moulds is curious, but then how account for absence of all living things in Pasteur’s experiment?

Always delighted to see a word in favour of Pangenesis.

Thiselton-Dyer’s paper ["On spontaneous generation and evolution", Q. J. Microsc. Sci. 10 (1870): 333–54] is Spencerian.

The chemical conditions for first production of life are said to exist at present, but in some warm little pond today such matter would be absorbed or devoured, which would not have been the case before living creatures were formed.

Summary

Has left Paris because of the war.

J. J. Moulinié and Carl Vogt are at work on Descent, which CR plans to publish in Paris.

Summary

Sir Andrew Smith says Hottentots and Kaffirs laugh till they cry.

Summary

Encloses a letter [missing] from C. Reinwald, publisher of the French edition of Descent [1872].

Vincenzi [of Unione, Turin – publisher of Italian translation] has not yet paid the account.

Summary

On irritation of cutaneous nerves exciting responses in unconnected skin muscles.

Summary

Sends questions on expressions of Laura Bridgman.

Has finished Descent. Believes that parts, like that on moral sense, will aggravate AG.

Working on an essay on expression.

Summary

Does shut eyes when scratching himself. Will ask Langstaff about muscles used when playing flute. Is back at work but hobbling around.

Summary

The box of bones sent by CD has led to a series of explorations. Reports on Yorkshire cave-hunting.

Summary

Will send copy of Descent.

Comments on JC-B’s MS on expression among insane. Asks about weeping in insane men. Do idiots laugh when pleased?

Thanks for photographs of insane. Asks for additional photographs.

Comments on Henry Maudsley [Body and mind (1870)].

Pointed ears in the insane.

Summary

Sends a publication to Darwin.

Asks for a portrait.

Summary

Sends CD some remarks he made before the Academy of Natural Sciences [Philadelphia].

TM is indebted to the Origin for first suggesting to him which observations might be useful to those working out the greater laws of nature.

Summary

Asks that a presentation copy [of Descent?] be sent to Edward Blyth. Comments on publication.

Summary

Discusses presentation copies [of Descent]. Dallas returned proofs of index on Friday. Asks for John Stuart Mill’s address.

Summary

Hopes German edition [of Descent] has not yet been printed because he has fallen into a most serious blunder [about sexual selection never acting on the young] on pp. 297–9 of vol. 1.