Summary

Emcloses copies of correspondence concerning his dispute with John Lubbock.

Summary

Asks to borrow several Floras. Must redo calculations as John Lubbock has shown him an important error.

Summary

Ill health.

At work on Variation.

Reading JDH on Welwitschia.

Letter from Lyell defends his position on species.

Anger at Owen.

John Lubbock’s lectures.

Summary

Wants to discuss raising a testimonial fund for Huxley and whether Huxley would stand this.

Summary

On Lubbock’s plans.

Visited by Antoine Auguste Laugel.

Guessed right on Bentham’s "Planchon".

Much struck by Thomson’s article on nomenclature [see 4812]; importance of this subject.

Sorry best scientists read so little; few read any long papers.

Summary

Was glad to read JDH’s article on glaciers of Yorkshire ["Moraines of the Tees Valley", Reader 6 (1865): 70].

Reader article [6 (1865): 61–2] about English and foreign men of science is unjust.

Lubbock is now lost to science.

B. Verlot’s pamphlet on variations of flowers [Sur la production et la fixation des variétés dans les plantes d’ornement (1865)] is very good.

Summary

Is not inclined to restrain himself from expressing his opinion of Mivart. Huxley’s article in Academy.

Summary

His correspondents in Lapland will provide CD with the information on reindeer horns. Refers him to Linnaeus, Amoenitates academicae, vol. 4.

Summary

Thanks for Begonia and Oxalis.

Keeps obstinate about crossing and could argue till doomsday, but will not bother JDH.

Sees that JDH has finished Welwitschia.

Thinks Huxley’s Working Men’s Lectures excellent.

Has finished Linum paper [Collected papers 2: 93–105],

and abstract of Bates’s paper for Natural History Review,

and has begun to arrange concluding chapters [for Variation]. Is paralysed on how to begin.

Summary

CD’s Lythrum paper has given him as much satisfaction as working out complemental males in cirripedes.

Response to award of Copley Medal.

Letters from Germany and France support natural selection.

Now that climbing plants are done, CD asks for Drosera.

Summary

CD’s opinion of Lyell’s Antiquity of man and of Owen’s comment on it.

Disappointed Lyell has not spoken out on species and on man.

Pleasure of new hothouse and the plants JDH supplied for it.

Summary

Did not think JDH had written Murray review [see 5217].

Does not think Gardeners’ Chronicle best for publication of "Insular floras" [Gard. Chron. (1867): 6–7, 27, 50–1, 75–6].

T. Laxton’s article, on direct action of pollen of peas on seed and pod, a grand physiological fact and "delightful" for Pangenesis.

Interview with Herbert Spencer.

Summary

Is provoked by trouble he is having writing Insectivorous plants.

Curious case of an unknown form of Glaucium in earth covered with slag for 1400 years.

Summary

Discusses germination of charlock after a long interval.

Summary

Lythrum. Wants to examine fresh flowers of Lythraceae. Lythrum salicaria has interested him very much.

Microscopes.

Asks whether JDH can think of plants that have different coloured anthers or pollen in same flowers (as in Melastoma) or on same and in different plants as in Lythrum. Would be a safe guide to dimorphism.

Observation of action of pollen in Linum grandiflorum.

Summary

Has not heard from Mivart. He is not so good a Christian as JDH and cannot forgive a man for malicious lying merely because he says he is sorry. Does not think Mivart will apologise. Still thinks the simple, most manly thing, is to write to Mivart directly and tell him what he thinks of him.

Summary

Thanks for name of grass.

Plans to go to Isle of Wight on 17 July.

Frank cannot come to Kew, as he will be reading this long vacation at Cambridge.

Delighted with Bentham’s Presidential Address [Linnean Society, 1868].

Summary

CD’s changing taste in periodical literature.

William Darwin’s partnership in bank.

Work: variation and orchids.

Summary

CD’s encouragement of John Scott, who has found a case of self-incompatibility in orchids, like William Herbert’s in Crinum.

Nägeli on phyllotaxy.

CD’s observations on broom fertilisation.

Summary

Astonished at JDH’s success versus Galton

and his attack on Murray is superb. Has written a formal letter to Mivart enumerating his offences.