Summary

Answers to queries are being sent.

Enclosure 1: statistics on puppies bred by Rayner in 1873.

Enclosure 2 from W. N. Massey: number of males or females raised depends entirely on preference of greyhound breeders.

Enclosure 3 from E. L. Williams: breeders prefer to destroy bitch pups.

Enclosure 4: Thomas Morse answers CD’s three queries, transmitted by GC: (1) in deerhounds, females predominate, three to one; (2) in all but cattle, females are less worth preserving; (3) TM rears all the young.

Enclosure 5: John Wright responds to CD’s queries about proportion of sexes in births of horses, cattle, and dogs.

Enclosure 6: G. W. Hickman cannot give reliable answers to CD’s queries on proportion of sexes born [in greyhounds?].

Summary

The Bishop of Falkland says the Fuegian natives’ health does not suffer through increased civilisation. Relates the Bishop’s observations on the state of Tierra del Fuego and its populace.

Summary

Thanks CD for presenting books to a gardeners’ society.

Summary

More details on pea-fowl.

Summary

Introduction of tropical fruits in Hawaiian Islands.

Summary

Comments on several points in Descent,

doubts facts about Monacanthus brushes

and the two Cyprinidae males attending the female when spawning.

Summary

The land CD wants to buy probably belongs to his marriage-settlement and would thus be difficult to sell.

Summary

Asks CD to allow his name to be put on a committee to establish a Scientific Societies Club for the fellows of the six societies that will have rooms in Burlington House.

Summary

CD has been elected an Honorary Member of the Society.

Summary

Reports negative results of his experiments on digestion of chlorophyll by Drosera and by animals. [See Insectivorous plants, p. 126.]

Sends references for chondrin.

Summary

CD’s son is considering translating into English HHHvZ’s notes in Dutch edition of Expression; HHHvZ feels his notes to Descent would be of more interest.

Summary

Notes on movements of Mimosa pudica.

Summary

The row at the Linnean Society and other troubles.

The Agricultural Society has sent Anton De Bary £100 to investigate the potato disease – an insult to M. J. Berkeley, who had worked on it for 30 years.

Summary

Asks CD to read and comment, for publication, on his forthcoming essay in Index on the evolution of conscience and morals through action and reaction between man and the moral environment.

Summary

Has heard from Dohrn about his financial problems. Asks CD’s advice on what to do.

THH’s article in Contemporary Review ["Universities: actual and ideal" (1874), Collected essays, vol. 3 (1894)].

Summary

Asks for CD’s photograph.

Summary

Sends abstract of Martin Ziegler’s paper on sensitive movements in Drosera ["Sur un fait physiologique observé sur des feuilles de Drosera", C. R. Hebd. Acad. Sci. 74 (1872): 1227–9].

JTM’s experiments with formic acid and ants have failed to reveal the secret of the ants, but have taught him a great deal about germination.

Summary

Writes on the possible origin of serpent-worship.

Is glad CD does not think his view regarding the two sides of the face is erroneous.

Summary

Questions correctness of two statements in Origin: 1. That fulmar petrels are the most numerous birds in the world;

2. That the increase of one form of thrush in Scotland has been concomitant with the decline of another form.

Summary

Sends copy of his book [Der Darwinismus und die Naturforschung Newtons und Cuviers, vol. 1 (1874)]. Expresses respect for CD in spite of the book’s criticism of him.