Summary

Hears CD may come to Oxford at Commencement to receive an honorary degree. Invites CD, his wife, and daughter to stay at his house. [CD declined Hon. D.C.L. on grounds of ill health.]

Summary

Is glad to hear that CD is pleased with AN’s notice of his work on pigeons.

He will not soon forget the pleasure of his visit to Down.

Summary

CD has complained of pins and needles keeping him from working on his book [Descent]. If he could spend ten days with HBJ, he would be well and fit.

Summary

Suicide is rare among savages [see Descent 1: 94].

Summary

Does not give much for botanical results of Round Island, but the zoology is wonderful.

Lyell’s new book [The student’s elements of geology (1870)]. Urges Lyell to make it Elementary principles.

Grove is disgusted with CD for being disquieted by William Thomson: "Take another dose of Huxley’s penultimate address to Geol. Soc." [Q. J. Geol. Soc. Lond. 25 (1869): 28–53].

Summary

Discusses buying a horse [for CD].

Summary

Plans to visit Down in a week.

Summary

About a dog she supposes was suckled by a cat, since it washes its face with its paws.

Summary

Hopes CD is coping with the very hard winter.

Summary

Concern over Wallace’s book [Contributions to the theory of natural selection (1870)] and its apparent backsliding from Darwinian theory. HWB suggests that only CD is capable of criticising the book.

HWB hopes not too much was made over his few comments on man in M. F. Somerville’s book [Physical geography, revised ed. (1870)].

Summary

Discusses the Census Bill and CD’s attempt to get questions on consanguineous marriage added to the census.

Summary

Invites AG to Down for a weekend with A. Newton, R. Swinhoe, and Hooker.

Summary

On amount of modification and lines of descent in determining the position in man.

Reference to StGJM’s article "On the appendicular skeleton of the primates" Phil. Trans. R. Soc. [157 (1867): 299–430],

and his [and James Murie’s] article on lemurs ["On the anatomy of Lemuroidea"] Trans. Zool. Soc. [7 (1872): 1–114].

Summary

Requests CD write in support of Government pension for her husband, George Cupples.

Summary

Has heard of CD’s forthcoming book [Descent] from J. D. Hooker.

Leaves next week for winter quarters in Sandown.

Summary

Is leaving tonight for Genoa;

sends a French paper [not identified].

Summary

Delay in sending deerhound puppy.

Summary

Thanks for sending him a hybrid.

Summary

Was gratified "beyond measure" by AN’s comments on his pigeon chapter [in Variation] in the [Zoological] Record [5 (1868): 94–6]. AN is the first man capable of forming a judgment who seems to have thought anything of this part.

Summary

Forgot to send books.

Saw Miss [Henrietta] Darwin; chastised her for being out when book [Descent] has not yet appeared.