Summary

Last letter was written to be passed on for Lushington’s edification. "(Standing on the points of my toes and my tail very stiff)." Is tiring of controversy as a waste of time. Begins to understand CD’s sufferings over Origin.

Summary

Nothing new in Lushington’s letter. Two paragraphs are offensive – that THH sought to stir up Scotch Presbyterian prejudices against Comte at Edinburgh and that he had not read Comte.

Summary

Has already referred Haeckel’s request to J. S. Bowerbank.

Has lost track of collectors and naturalists "by grace of the dredge" because of other work and ""the great question of "Darwinismus" which is such a worry to us all"".

Family health.

Summary

Will do his best on the tooth [sent by CD] but does not put much weight on conclusions based on a single tooth of a horse.

Darwin attacked by three clergymen at BAAS meeting [Exeter, 1869].

Summary

H. M. S. Nassau, surveying Magellan Straits, has found fossils at Gallegos River. They have been sent to THH by R. O. Cunningham [naturalist of H. M. S. Nassau]. Skull of entirely new ungulate mammal.

Summary

Huxley has shown him the jaws of an Anoplotherium brought from the Gallegos by R. O. Cunningham.

Saw Hallett’s wheat crops at Brighton; results of his selection very striking.

Huxley is assembling his Darwiniana papers for republication.

Has written a crushing reply to Richard Congreve ["The scientific aspects of positivism", Fortn. Rev. n.s. 5 (1869): 653–70] and JDH feels "infantine" beside him.

Comments on Sabine’s being offered and accepting K.C.B.

Summary

Orchids translation should goad [French] Academy into electing CD.

JDH will be sent to St Petersburg congress by Government.

Huxley on protoplasm; his address to Geological Society.

Fertilised an Aucuba with pollen of various species. Reports on results.

Summary

Describes how the offer of C.B. was made. He declined a knighthood. Murchison and Lyell are trying to get him made Knight Commander of the Star of India, but he does not think there is a chance. The Duke [of Argyll?] might do it, but does not like JDH’s Darwinism.

Next Presidency of Royal Society discussed: all (Brodie, the X Club botanists, et al.) are agreed on Lyell.

Everyone is disappointed with Nature.

What did CD think of "Huxley’s rhapsody on Goethe’s ditto" [Nature 1 (1869): 9–11]?

Summary

On reading F. Müller’s Facts and arguments for Darwin [1869].

Pangenesis.

Agrees with CD on fascination [of snakes].

Huxley is at Comte again.

Summary

Comments on 5th edition of the Origin [1869];

preparation of second edition of Natürliche Schöpfungsgeschichte [1870].

The reception of CD’s theory. Mentions support of Pieter Harting and Michael Sars.

EH’s research on calcareous sponges and plans to publish monograph on them.

Summary

Asks CD for references to animal breeders in order to test the hypothesis that mimicry arises through direct action of mental impressions received through the sense of sight.

Supports natural selection and Pangenesis.

Summary

Has written to Moscow about translations of Origin. Wishes to translate additions to the fifth English edition and print them as a supplement.

Pleased by CD’s high opinion of Alexander Kovalevsky.

Summary

Reports on events at Exeter [BAAS] meeting. G. G. Stokes made a first-rate President.

Huxley "poured boiling oil" over James McCann in answer to his "conceited dogmatic sermon".

F. A. W. Miquel is coming to stay.

Summary

Federico Delpino’s book has very nearly all that THF has found and a great deal more.

Summary

Reports on his findings in Denbighshire caves ["The Denbighshire caves", Trans. Manchester Geol. Soc. 9 (1869–70): 31–7].

Sends his paper ["On the prae-historic Mammalia in Great Britain", Intellect. Obs. (1868): 403–10].

Has changed his view on the descent of British cattle from the wild aurochs. No evidence that aurochs survived into historic times in Britain.

Summary

Comments on Huxley’s address ["Geological reform", Q. J. Geol. Soc. Lond. 25 (1869): xxxviii–liii].

Physicists have ignored variation in sea-level in calculating effects.

Doubts if sun only source of heat.

Notes average depth of sea is 15 times height of land.

Criticises CD’s concept of permanent continents.

Sedimentary strata of Alleghenies must have derived from continent located where Atlantic is. Thinks enormous amount of denudation, submergence, and elevation may have accompanied relatively insignificant organic changes.

Summary

His observations of the chickens hatched from eggs of an isolated pair of pure-bred black-boned fowl. Nine were black-boned, two were like ordinary fowl.

Quotes a Mr Holdsworth on unusual expressions of Singhalese and Tamils in pointing and beckoning.