Summary

Finished the last proofs of Descent a few days ago. "I shall be well abused."

St George Mivart’s Genesis [of species]: very good, unfortunately theological. Will tell heavily against natural selection but not against evolution, and this is "infinitely more important".

Summary

Returns pamphlets.

B. T. Lowne’s observation [Mon. Microsc. J. 4 (1870): 326–30] that boiling does not kill certain moulds is curious, but then how account for absence of all living things in Pasteur’s experiment?

Always delighted to see a word in favour of Pangenesis.

Thiselton-Dyer’s paper ["On spontaneous generation and evolution", Q. J. Microsc. Sci. 10 (1870): 333–54] is Spencerian.

The chemical conditions for first production of life are said to exist at present, but in some warm little pond today such matter would be absorbed or devoured, which would not have been the case before living creatures were formed.

Summary

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

Has not yet read Descent.

Summary

Asks name of an Abutilon from Fritz Müller.

Questions about Drosophyllum for experiments;

the meaning of "Sirdar".

Wonderful success of Descent. Astonished by liberality of public. No abuse yet.

Marvels at JDH’s plans for a trip to Morocco. Asks him to look for alpine insects.

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

Sends Hibiscus

and enclosure [Queries about expression?] on chance of "any point being observed" in Morocco.

Murray informs him edition of Descent will probably be 6500 copies.

Summary

Delighted to hear from Lyell of JDH’s return from successful ascent of the Atlas Mts.

Fears JDH found no Madeira or Canary types, but CD is pleased at his moraine discovery.

Thinks Lyell’s health is serious.

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

Lady Lyell’s anxiety over Lyell’s health.

Preparing new edition of Origin.

Asks whether anything was observed [in Morocco] on expressions.

Did JDH notice whether pollen-masses in Ophrys apifera in N. Africa fall on the stigma, as in England?

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

Honoured by Abutilon name; describes observations on its fertilisation.

Henrietta’s marriage a great loss to him.

Latest Quarterly Review has article, "evidently by Mivart", that cuts CD into mincemeat.

Asks for name of species of mouse J. S. Henslow used to keep [see 598].

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

Thanks for information about Henslow’s mouse.

Summary

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

Summary

Has read Thomson’s address with "greatest interest", but JDH has said exactly what he [CD] thinks of it.

Herschel’s was a good sneer. It made him add the Raphael Madonna simile in Descent [2: 142].

Summary

Differences in violet and honeysuckle cases.

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

Summary

Is preparing new edition of Origin [6th] in which he will introduce new chapter to answer Mivart’s criticisms. Mivart is unfair: suppresses facts in CD’s later editions.

Sends article [by Chauncey Wright, see 7940] reviewing Genesis of species.

Mivart writes to CD full of respect, but reviles him in print.

Summary

Sends proofs of Huxley’s article on Mivart, to be published in Contemporary Review ["Mr Darwin’s critics", 18 (1871): 443–76].

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.