Summary

Asks to call on RC.

Summary

Maer purchase-money; London and Birmingham Railway Company shares.

Summary

Illness has delayed his departure. Will try to call on JDH on Thursday.

Summary

Corrects a misunderstanding of his description of salt deposits [in South America, pp. 74–5]. The salt referred to was from Rio Negro, and was coarsely crystallised and free of other saline substances found in sea-salt. CD believes its lesser value in curing meat is owing to the absence of muriates of lime and magnesia and suggests that it might be worth while to add them to the Rio Negro salt.

Summary

Has received copy of CL’s Principles [7th ed.].

Comments on reading Annales des sciences naturelles.

David Milne’s and Robert Chambers’ views on Glen Roy.

Mentions sales of South America.

Describes visit to his father at Shrewsbury.

Summary

Memorial presented by members of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and other scientific societies, submitting that natural history is inadequately provided for by the present constitution of the Board of Trustees of the British Museum.

Summary

Thanks for JDH’s notes on species sketch. Proposes to drive to Kew to discuss them with him.

Summary

Honoured by GL’s review of Volcanic islands.

Sends copy [of South America].

Summary

Sends copy of South America.

Will consult BS’s article in the Bulletin.

Recommends article by Daniel Sharpe ["On slaty cleavage", J. Geol. Soc. Lond. 3 (1847): 74–105].

Cites his description of thin laminae in volcanic rocks in Volcanic islands. Suggests similar process may have affected metamorphic schists.

Thanks him for offer of his book [Lehrbuch der physikalischen Geographie und Geologie (1844–7)]. Since he reads German poorly, BS should send book only if short and inexpensive.

Summary

Health permitting, proposes to visit Kew on Friday.

Summary

Health bad, cannot get to Kew.

Will send Nulliporae to [L. A.?] Reeve.

Summary

JDH’s proposed India trip.

Will sorely miss discussions with JDH on species theory.

CD is getting on wretchedly with cirripedes.

Summary

Descriptions of the algae specimens found on the Beagle voyage.

Summary

Must look after his wife, so is unable to come to visit.

Summary

Admires RP’s volume [Introduction to zoology, pt 1 (1846)]; he has condensed a great deal of accurate information. CD hopes some good naturalists will spring up as a result.

Summary

Thanks for H. C. Watson’s interesting letter. Disagrees with him on intermediate varieties.

CD has read latest numbers of JDH’s The botany of the Antarctic voyage [pt I, Flora Antarctica (1844–7)]; notes several sentences against "us Transmutationists".

Summary

Comments on manuscript [? "On slaty cleavage", J. Geol. Soc. Lond. 5 (1849): 111–29]. Discusses phenomenon of cleavage. Will write to J. D. Forbes about DS’s paper.

Summary

Delighted that Brongniart thinks Sigillaria aquatic, and that E. W. Binney thinks coal is a sort of submarine peat. Thinks coal-plants will prove to be aquatic, though JDH will sneer at this.

Has acquired a new microscope.

Summary

CD defends his position on submarine coal formation and coal-plants against JDH’s strong objections.

Summary

Thinks JDH should arrange his facts against the aquatic formation of coal.