Summary

Has caught a frog and examined its possibly rudimentary toe. Asks THH if he will dissect it.

Has heard THH is abused in Edinburgh Review and in Anthropological Review [reviews of Man’s place in nature, Edinburgh Rev. 117 (1863): 541–69 and Anthrop. Rev. 1 (1863): 107–17].

Owen on heterogeny and the aye-aye.

Has been very ill.

Summary

Thanks AS for a copy of his book, Discourse [on the studies of the University, 5th ed.].

Thinking of not sending his eldest son [William] to a classical school.

Summary

Thanks BJS for his account of S. America and the Fuegians.

Can BJS ask W. H. Stirling to make observations on expression?

Has asked Hooker about the fossil leaves, and he suggests they be sent to Oswald Heer.

Has just sent MS on domestic animals [Variation] to the printer.

Summary

Describes his appointment, the Beagle, his companions, and the objectives of the voyage. Gives his schedule before departure.

Summary

Family and local news. Tom Eyton will marry. Tells of the great fire of the Houses of Parliament.

Summary

CD has recovered from his illness.

Fatigue and depression had almost decided Captain FitzRoy to turn over his command, but he was dissuaded.

Beagle will now go no further south than Cape Tres Montes and will finish survey in five months.

CD experiences his first earthquake.

Summary

Discusses the mimicry of the Volucella flies, and the bees and wasps they mimic. Compares it with the different object of mimicry in butterflies.

Refers to incompleteness of Cuthbert Collingwood’s paper [? "On homophormism, or organic representative forms", Proc. Liverpool Lit. & Philos. Soc. 14 (1860): 181–216].

Thanks CD for help in selecting a publisher for his book [The naturalist on the river Amazons (1863)].

Summary

Sends his notes on Florent Prévost’s reference to the habits of the cuckoo.

Summary

Recounts his trip [from Valparaiso] to Santiago. His meeting with Claude Gay, Thomas Sutcliffe, and others. Geology of tour uninteresting.

Summary

Expresses envy for WDF’s life as a clergyman.

Outlines homeward voyage; tells of his hope of seeing active volcanoes and Tertiary strata in Galapagos. Recommends geology to Fox. Discusses Lyell’s views; CD has become "a zealous disciple".

Summary

CD’s cargo is safe; the fossils have been sent to William Clift.

JSH asks for dried plants (those sent were all of greatest interest).

Sends news of Cambridge and mutual friends.

Summary

Sends RO a box of fossils from William Darwin Fox, from the Isle of Wight.

Summary

Asks that a letter on tornados be forwarded to W. C. Redfield. Hopes Silliman received a copy of Journal of Researches.

Summary

Grieved by Falconer’s and Prestwich’s treatment of Lyell.

Reproductive anatomy of the common ash reminds CD of JDH’s Welwitschia because of its transitional forms.

Pleased JDH encourages Oliver to do orchids.

Summary

Discusses rudimentary sixth toe of frogs.

Summary

He has proved that heat is generated by the exudation of oxygen from roots, and that there is continuous electrical action from leaves to roots.

Summary

Bibliographical references on [stridulation in] Coleoptera. Finds no idea of sex has occurred to authors [i.e., they do not find the stridulating organs differing according to sex; cf. Descent 1: 378–85].