Summary

Was reminded of CD by his new book [Descent] in a shop;

reports having come on train as far as Bromley in previous summer, but found no means of travelling the seven miles to Down. Might try again.

Summary

Sends sheets [of the 6th ed. of Origin].

Thanks JVC for his letter about the sheep.

Summary

Is sending notes on blushing. Offers information on physiology and pathology of blushing.

Has sent photograph of seven imbeciles in one family.

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.

Summary

Sorry to hear of CD’s poor health.

Is hard at work examining Ceratodus.

Encloses discussion of Mus species with functionally prehensile tails.

Encloses argument against freshwater fish entering the sea.

Summary

Thanks JVC for his corrections. Will send other errata. Hopes to send remainder of vol. 2 [of Descent] in a fortnight.

Summary

CD offers to mark corrected passages in sheets of 6th edition of Origin.

Discusses question of hybrids between goats and sheep, on which H. von Nathusius has cast doubt in his recent Viehzucht [1872]. CD gives several references for a contrary view.

Asks JVC to inquire about HvN’s assertion that castrated rams have no horns.

Summary

Thanks JVC for corrections for Descent. Index, which is too full, was hurried at the end.

Summary

Corrections for Descent. Has sold 6500 copies in England.

Has finished rough draft of Expression, but will put it aside for the summer.

Will refresh himself with some curious observations on the response of plants to certain stimuli.

Summary

Comments on various points in Descent: proportion of sexes, moral sentiments in animals, etc. Encloses "packet of data" [missing].

Summary

Thanks HHHvZ for a memoir

and answers some queries;

mentions some corrections for his Dutch translation of Descent.

Summary

Sends abstract of a paper on hybridity read by Edward Moore to a natural history club in Rochester, NY. Argues the necessity of hybridity on CD’s theory.

Summary

Discusses revising his North American Review article [see 7829] for publication as a pamphlet in England.

Plans to publish a further article on phyllotaxy.

Summary

JF’s indebtedness to Herbert Spencer. [Published version complete.]

Summary

Glad to hear of new German edition of Origin. He is revising the English edition, adding a new chapter of "Answers".

No new edition of Descent has appeared.

Would be glad to see a new translation of the Journal of researches, which he revised in 1845.

Comments on white colour of sea-birds.

Summary

Not surprised that JBI does not agree with him. Many professed naturalists do not. But there has been a great change since publication of Origin, and CD believes agreement on man will come soon, "as far as his corporeal frame is concerned".

Horsman has not been heard from.

Summary

Has received Chauncey Wright’s pamphlet [see 7940].

Has reviewed Quarterly Review article and 2d ed. of Genesis of species for the Contemporary Review [18 (1871): 443–76].

Mivart has hopelessly misunderstood Suarez [Disputiones (1630)] on evolution.

Summary

Raises two points on CD’s view, in Descent [2: 229], on how aquatic birds acquire white plumage.

Also remarks on effect of will in certain human modifications,

on colour-blindness in his children,

and on ability to move his ears.

Summary

CD advises publishing a short version of Primitive culture [1871] for the general reader.

Would like to see EBT, but his health has been bad and conversation is extremely tiring.

Summary

Possible quotations about shame for CD.