Summary

Discusses belief in immortality and a personal God.

Describes his holiday in Southampton.

Comments on papers of John Wesley Judd.

Summary

Comments on CL’s planned bequest to science. CD would do the same if he had fewer sons.

Summary

Discusses paper on volcanoes by J. W. Judd.

Comments on volcanoes of the S. American Cordillera.

Mentions paper by T. F. Jamieson ["Glacial period in N. Britain", Q. J. Geol. Soc. Lond. 30 (1874): 317–18].

Summary

Will subscribe £25 towards F. A. Dohrn’s Zoological Station at Naples.

Summary

The coral-reef book has been invaluable [J. D. Dana, Corals and coral islands (1872); used by CD in Coral reefs, 2d ed. (1874)].

Thanks for Saturday Review.

Summary

Notes recent confirmation of CD’s views on subsidence in [island of] St Jago.

Describes Carboniferous strata discovered on Island of Mull by J. W. Judd. Contained evidence of Miocene sinking of volcanoes.

Summary

Comments on Tyndall’s [Presidential] Address at Belfast meeting [of BAAS] and praise of CD’s work there. Mentions criticism of Belfast clergy.

CL saw some crustacean footprints while in Ireland.

Summary

Arranges a visit to CL.

Summary

Has met Capt. George Strong Nares of the Challenger expedition at Huxley’s.

Huxley much at a loss to explain red clay at deep sea-bottom.

Summary

Reports on a séance. "The Lord have mercy on us all if we have to believe in such rubbish."

Asks JDH to vote for his nephew, Henry Parker, for Athenaeum membership.

Summary

Circular requesting recipients to sign an enclosed [missing] statement [relating to appeal for Naples Zoological Station] if they approve of it.

Summary

Discusses 2d edition of Descent. CD is inclined to a cheap edition and asks JM to consider a one-volume edition in double-column format.

Summary

Is glad to have Descent cheaper and sold more largely, but would be sorry to see it printed like the Origin. "The closeness of the lines is the great fault." Fears book might be very thick. "I hear scores of people complaining of the heavy and thick books which you publish."

Summary

Has received circulars, and contributions from Lyell and George Busk [for Naples biological station].

Summary

New edition of Descent just off the press. Murray feels price must be 9s instead of 12s, if it is to sell. This will reduce profit to almost nil.

Summary

Thanks for new edition of Coral reefs [1874]

and Volcanic islands [1876].

His travels and studies confirm CD’s explanation of the banded structure of lavas.

Summary

Glad to hear that [German edition of] Insectivorous plants is published.

Thanks for errata in Climbing plants [2d ed.].

Sends list [missing] of his papers, with those certainly not worth translating marked with a red line.

Reports on work in progress.

Summary

Comments on JG’s book [The great ice age and its relation to the antiquity of man, 2d ed. (1877)]. Recalls erratic boulder he knew in Shropshire as a boy.

Summary

Approves of proof [of subscription appeal for Dohrn’s Naples station]. Suggests names.