Summary

Asks, on behalf of his father, whether he might publish a new German translation of the Origin, believing Bronn’s to be inadequate.

Summary

Thanks for WT’s papers, especially ["The present aspect of the doctrine of cellular pathology", Edinburgh Med. J. 8 (1863): 873–97].

Summary

Last fascicles of FR’s book Der Mensch [1866] being sent.

Finds roots of human race in Negroes of Africa, Bushmen of South Africa and New Guinea, and short-headed peoples of south Asia.

Has translated natural selection as natürliche Auslese.

Ludwig Rütimeyer active in developing the descent of mammals.

Summary

Thanks CD for previous communications. Asks him to send a paper relating to flowers to be read at first meeting of her ladies’ literary and scientific society.

Summary

CL is aware that she is dying and so says her farewells.

Summary

Expresses gratification that JVC is to undertake new translation and revision of German edition of the Origin.

Has heard many complaints about Bronn’s translation. JVC would be justified in omitting Bronn’s appendix.

Suggests additions and changes, including reference to C. W. v. Nägeli’s Entstehung und Begriff [1865], though he disagrees with it.

Summary

Had Busks and Lyells to dinner.

Examines and criticises evidence for CD’s hypothesis that the glacial period was not one of universal cold. Physicists deny its possibility.

Summary

JVC proposes to correct Bronn’s mistakes [in his translation of Origin], but will not add his own notes.

Asks CD to write a note on Nägeli’s pamphlet [Entstehung und Begriff] for the revised edition.

Also requests biographical information for an encyclopedia article he has been asked to write.

Summary

Asks [Secretary] to list the proper titles of foreign societies of which he is an honorary member; he has mislaid diplomas.

Summary

Encloses a sketch of the principal events in his life [for RH’s memoir on CD in Walford, ed., Portraits of men of eminence (1863–7)].

Summary

Comments on JDH’s list – very good, but Orchids and Primula paper have too indirect a bearing to be worth mentioning. The Eozoon is a very important fact and to a much lesser degree the Archaeopteryx. Müller’s Für Darwin [1864] perhaps the most important contribution.

CD has forgotten to mention Bates on variation and JDH’s Arctic paper ["Distribution of Arctic plants", Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 23 (1862): 251–348] in new edition of Origin.

Now finds that Owen claims to be originator of natural selection.

Summary

Thanks for information on orchids

and facts on coastal flora and fauna.

Asks FM to look out for dimorphic aquatic and marsh plants.

Has read pamphlets "in our favour" by Carl v. Nägeli and Oscar Schmidt.

Summary

Sends CD comb of the Chinese honey-bee, as requested.

Summary

Discusses beauty of birds and butterflies.

Summary

Sends copies of Science gossip and The leisure hour.

Enjoyed visit.

His criticism of Primula fertility referred to table 2 [Collected papers 2: 56] where weight of seeds produced from good pods by long-styled homostylous cross and short-styled heterostylous cross are virtually identical.

Summary

Regrets that JvH is not on list of candidates for Royal Society. This year the Council of Royal Society is extraordinarily deficient in natural historians and geologists. Thinks JvH is sure to be elected another year.

Summary

Reviewing C. V. Naudin’s article ["Nouvelles recherches sur l’hybridité dans les végétaux", Ann. Sci. Nat. (Bot.) 4th ser. 19 (1863): 180–203] for Popular Science Review [5 (1866): 304–13]. Requests references.

Proposes to visit Down on Easter weekend.

Summary

In response to a letter from RS’s father [translation enclosed] Schweizerbart has suggested H. B. Geinitz revise Bronn’s edition of the Origin, but RS doubts he is suitable.

Summary

Returns [Fritz?] Müller’s work [probably Für Darwin (1864)]. It is a remarkable memoir.

Summary

Tameness of whales and porpoises.