Summary

Agrees to contribute £10 towards a new road in the area of Beckenham, although he doubts whether the road will be of much use to him.

Summary

Invites correspondent to dinner and overnight the next Friday, and gives directions at length from London to Down. "I have heard from Mr Litchfield that you are in London … will you give us the pleasure of seeing you here".

Summary

Thanks for notes on worm-castings. Amount of ammonia surprises CD. David Forbes asserts that published analysis of carbon in vegetable matter valueless. Suspects that worms search for food and do not blindly swallow earth.

Summary

Thanks GHD for extracts, but says the subject of music is beyond him.

Suggests that GHD deliberate over one or two sentences of his paper on dress ["Developments in dress", Macmillan’s Mag. 22 (1872): 410–16].

Refers to prospective marriage of Amy [Ruck and CD’s son Francis].

Summary

Comments on HM’s paper ["Anwendung der Darwin’schen Lehre auf Bienen", Verh. Naturhist. Ver. preuss. Rheinland 29 (1872): 1–96];

sexual selection in bees.

Encloses account on habits of Bombus.

Summary

"Be so good as to send me Unsere Zeit with Julius Frauenstädt’s article ["Darwin’s Auffassung des geistigen und sittlichen Lebens des Menschen" n.s. 8 (May 1872), 597–605]. I am much obliged for the information."

Summary

Comments on CL’s Principles of geology, 11th ed.

Discusses natural selection in man.

Summary

Encloses a testimonial for AG [in support of his application for a promotion at British Museum].

Does he agree with Carl Gegenbaur’s paper on the limbs of fish [Jenaische Z. Naturwiss. 5 (1870): 397–447]?

Asks what caused G. R. Gray’s sudden death.

Summary

Is the horned toad of Oregon a batrachian or a lizard?

Hopes AG will be promoted in the British Museum.

Summary

Will FD try to persuade A. D. Bartlett to show a live snake to a porcupine and observe whether the porcupine rattles the quills on its tail? [See 8333.]

Summary

Thanks for information on sexual colours in pigeons.

Will send latest edition of Origin.

Summary

Acknowledges election as Honorary Member of the New Zealand Institute [now Royal Society N. Z.].

Summary

Is sorry JDH cannot come to Down.

Hopes the House of Lords "pitch into the accursed fellow" [Ayrton].

Summary

Comments on drawings of hostile dog and affectionate dog.

Sends small gift of money.

Summary

Sends £35 as his subscription towards the building of a vicarage.

Summary

Please to send to Briton Riviere the block with the drawing of the dog, and a new block of the same size.

Summary

Comments on migration as a factor in evolution. Suggests pamphlet by August Weismann on the subject [Über den Einfluss der Isolierung (1872)].

Summary

Discusses books about cats and crosses in cats. Thanks her for her book on cats.

Summary

Agrees to care for FG’s rabbits and will breed from them.

Plans to go to Southampton for ten days.

Summary

Comments on drawing of dog. Will get it engraved [see Expression, pp. 52, 53].

Will send MS of Expression to printers next week.