Summary

Health very bad. All scientific work stopped for 2½ months.

E. B. Tylor’s Early history of mankind [1865] impresses him.

Would like JDH’s opinion of last number of Spencer’s [Principles of] Biology [vol. 1 (1864)], especially on umbellifers. CD not satisfied with Spencer’s views on irregular flowers.

ED reports on CD’s health.

Summary

Thanks THH for reading Pangenesis MS. Will read Buffon and Bonnet (as he does not want to republish their views) and will try to persuade himself not to publish.

Summary

Will forward Robert Caspary’s paper to CD when it is published ["Sur les hybrides obtenus par la greffe", Bull. Congr. Int. Bot. & Hortic. Amsterdam (1865): 65–80].

MTM is to become editor of Gardeners’ Chronicle.

Summary

Has read Buffon; whole pages are like his own. But CD is not converted to non-belief. There is a fundamental distinction between Pangenesis and Buffon. Fears he may not resist publishing it, but will be cautious.

Summary

Studying moraines.

On Lubbock’s book [see 4860], and Lyell’s apology. Recapitulates whole affair.

W. E. H. Lecky [Rise of rationalism in Europe (1865)] and other reading.

Spencer’s observations are wrong on umbellifers, his reasoning partially right.

Natural History Review is all but defunct.

Summary

Wants to borrow money to buy stock in the bridge over the Itchen.

Summary

Was glad to read JDH’s article on glaciers of Yorkshire ["Moraines of the Tees Valley", Reader 6 (1865): 70].

Reader article [6 (1865): 61–2] about English and foreign men of science is unjust.

Lubbock is now lost to science.

B. Verlot’s pamphlet on variations of flowers [Sur la production et la fixation des variétés dans les plantes d’ornement (1865)] is very good.

Summary

Did not intend to persuade CD against publishing Pangenesis. Will not take the responsibility, nor risk being made a horrible example 50 years hence.

Summary

JS has now taken post of Curator of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta.

Wishes to vindicate himself of the charge that he pursued his experiments at Edinburgh to the detriment of his work.

Apologises for poor quality of his Verbascum paper, which was written from his notes during the passage to India [J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 36 (1865) pt 2: 145–74].

Summary

Is reading CD’s "Climbing plants".

The Civil War is ended; slavery is dead.

Summary

Thanks WB for his note, states that it will be taken care of on the publication of CD’s book [Variation].

Mentions loss of many months owing to illness.

Thanks WB for favour to CD’s son.

Summary

J. D. Hooker will not be able to visit CD because of ill health.

Summary

Has read and admires FM’s work on species.

Observations on Crustacea are good and original; asks FM to dissect and check some of CD’s observations on cirripedes.

Has sent "Climbing plants" paper [J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. 9 (1865): 1–118] and would like to send Orchids.

Summary

Thanks CD for his paper on climbing plants. Lists the many genera that he has found in his area in a short period since reading CD’s paper. [See 4881.]

Summary

FM’s comments on Climbing Plants.

Summary

Gratified by AG’s praise of "Climbing plants".

Thanks for Specularia seed.

Summary

J. D. Hooker is ill with rheumatic fever.

W. J. Hooker is dead and was buried yesterday.

Summary

Condolences on W. J. Hooker’s death [12 Aug 1865].

His own health is bad.

Summary

Sends an allotment of shares which he presumes are Emma’s.

Summary

Hopes CD has received his letter of 12 August.

Sends some new observations on climbing plants. [The observations are part of "Notes on some of the climbing-plants, near Desterro, in South Brazil", J. Linn. Soc. (Bot.) 9 (1867): 344–9.]