Summary

Describes plans for travel in Morocco with George Maw and John Ball.

Has not yet read Descent.

Summary

Answers CD’s questions.

Reception of Descent. Evolution accepted everywhere; descent of man accepted calmly.

Morocco plans.

Fears for Huxley, who is overworked.

Summary

Plans to write an account of his trip to Morocco and, with John Ball, the botanical geography, for Linnean Society.

Results mainly negative; the Atlas exhibits "the dying out of European flora".

Only two or three beetles above 8000ft.

Disappointed that Canary Island species are absent from Atlas mountains; but an ocean current along Moroccan coast should help migration of Spanish, Portuguese, and Moroccan seeds to Canaries and Madeira.

Describes Lyell’s poor physical condition. Asks CD for his observations of symptoms.

Summary

He did observe that Ophrys apifera fertilised itself as CD described and O. lutea as well.

Moroccans are too civilised, taciturn, and unfriendly to make anything of them for expressions of emotions.

Moraines and negative results on Atlas alpine flora are the only points of the journey worth much.

Summary

Has given CD’s name to a species of Abutilon found by Fritz Müller.

Pleased at Henrietta [Darwin]’s engagement.

Summary

Identifies Henslow’s mouse that used tail as prehensile climbing organ as Mus messorius.

Has not seen the Quarterly Review.

Inquires after Lyell’s health.

Summary

Lengthy discussion of William Thomson’s address [BAAS, Edinburgh 1871].

Summary

Differences in violet and honeysuckle cases.

Huxley basted Thomson awfully in Section D [of BAAS].

Summary

On Huxley’s article for Contemporary Review [see 7977] confuting Mivart. It has cheered him,

for he is very low about his mother’s state.

Is also in detestable position with "my lord and master", A. S. Ayrton. JDH has denounced him to the [First] Lord of the Treasury [W. E. Gladstone] for his conduct.

Summary

JDH’s servant carries his letter to Henry Holland about problems with Ayrton. Suggests servant take CD’s letter to Holland to town and post them at same time. Holland is said to be very intimate friend of Gladstone.

Summary

JDH has no intention of resigning. Thinks W. E. Gladstone would rather see Ayrton turned out than himself. Gladstone knows JDH has friends who would be troublesome. Only moral and political cowardice of Cabinet keeps Ayrton in office.

Lyell is much altered since autumn.

Has CD read Charles Martins’ paper on the glacial origin of the tourbières of the Jura [Arch. Sci. Phys. & Nat. 42 (1871): 286–308]?

John Scott has an admirable series on horticulture in Bengal ["Notes on horticulture in Bengal", J. Agric. & Hortic. Soc. India 2 (1871) pt 1: 241–96; 3 (1872) pt 1: 1–82].

Summary

Details of the JDH–Ayrton–Gladstone imbroglio.

Summary

Henry Holland is taking an active part in helping JDH in the Ayrton affair.

Summary

Cannot come to lunch to meet Sir Henry Holland. Holland may have seen Robert Lowe [Lord Sherbrooke] already. Will CD let him know his views?

Summary

Philosophical Club dinner.

Lyell contradicts W. B. Carpenter on current in Straits of Gibraltar.

James Orton’s report on fossil shells found by L. Agassiz 2000 miles up the Amazon. Their identification disposes of the glacial hypothesis.

No news yet from Gladstone on Ayrton affair.

Summary

His mother very ill.

Mrs Hooker back from Bavaria.

Hopes marriage [of Henrietta] went well. Is accused of saying he would rather go to two burials than one marriage.

Has heard from Huxley who is threatening to "thin out" Mivart. Huxley is reading Francisco Suarez and finds Mivart misquotes or misunderstands him.