Summary

Does not think much of the arguments of the Duke [of Argyll], though liberal and complimentary to himself.

THH’s Athenæum letter ["Man and the apes", 30 Mar 1861, p. 433] almost too civil. What a thorn THH must be to Owen.

Summary

Changes in admission to Athenaeum.

Slowly working at his volume on Variation.

Experiments on insectivorous and "sensitive" plants.

Summary

Henslow’s death.

What a contrast C. C. Babington will be as Professor of Botany at Cambridge.

Beaton not to be trusted.

CD may switch from Athenæum to London Review & Wkly J. Polit.

Summary

Is glad AG will publish [pamphlet of his reviews of Origin]. Insists on bearing the costs. Encloses list of institutions and individuals to whom he would send copies.

Summary

CD’s orchid paper is to become orchid book [Orchids].

Primula paper is done [Collected papers 2: 45–63].

Summary

Lieut. F. W. Hutton’s original review [Geologist 4 (1861): 132–6, 183–8] understands that mutability cannot be directly proved.

CD met Bentham at Linnean Society and asked him to write up his views on mutability.

Opinion of Owen.

Conversation with Lyell on antiquity of man.

Summary

Thanks for railway map.

Surprised about Richard Owen: "I thought his courage was as indomitable as his malignity."

Sends extract [Sir John Herschel, "Physical geography", from the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1861)].

Summary

Likes the idea of matching Orchids with Origin. Begs for large print and spacing so that the book will not look "ridiculously small".

Summary

Thanks W. H. Fitch for drawing for the Primula paper. Death of experimental plants delays publication.

Summary

Asa Gray’s pamphlet.

Ill health.

Summary

Personal regards.

William Darwin will make a botanist.

Summary

Tells of a shooting competition at Down.

Has been working hard at orchid drawings with G. B. Sowerby, Jr.

Summary

CD’s changing taste in periodical literature.

William Darwin’s partnership in bank.

Work: variation and orchids.