Summary

EAD sees advantages to Frank’s becoming CD’s assistant.

Summary

Criticises CD’s letter to Nature ["Complemental males in certain cirripedes", Collected papers 2: 177–82].

On the elimination of useless parts.

GHD fails to see the point of CD’s use of the law of distribution about a mean.

Summary

Acknowledges CD’s cheque.

Sends CD cheque for profits on Orchids and a statement of stock on hand of CD’s works [missing].

Origin and Expression sales are stagnant.

Summary

Sends corrections of Descent and Expression.

Summary

The Royal Society referees have rejected HA’s phyllotaxy paper, and it will not be printed in Philosophical Transactions. HA is not sorry for he has found new facts which limit the applicability of his views. Now believes that the original leaf arrangement was not necessarily always two-ranked but rather that existing arrangements have developed from a variety of forms with differing numbers of leaf-ranks.

Summary

Had read Tyndall’s letter [Nature 8 (1873): 399] – awfully savage, but certainly a great mistake to print it.

Thinks JDH will think better of Clerk Maxwell’s paper after he reads it.

Asks whether JDH could find out for him the temperature of rain in very hot countries.

Summary

Seeks an interview with CD to discuss reorganisation of Gardeners’ Chronicle.

Summary

Returns CD’s books and discusses apples and Crags at Sudbury.

Summary

Has sent CD some pure distilled water for his Drosera experiments.

Summary

CD refuses an interview because of a severe headache, but wishes all success to the Gardeners’ Chronicle.

Summary

Is sending washings of 445 leaves in EF’s distilled water with 20 grains of carbonate of soda. Details of the difficulties and complications involved.

Summary

Sends proofs of pages on shells with revised species names. Discusses Crag Moll, Sutton and Butley Red Grag, and Scrobicularia beds. Son asks him to thank Lyell for extract from Darwin’s book.