Summary

List of close species taken from AG’s Manual of botany [1848].

Summary

Discusses the variation of species in large and small genera.

Thanks AG for his list of close species.

Laments the slow progress he makes with his book [Natural selection].

Summary

Asa Gray’s criticism of Buckle and his comments on large and small genera.

CD suspects glacial epoch immensely long. Rates of organic change too variable to make them a good measure of geological time.

Bees’ cells are a difficulty for theory.

Summary

CD will go over his pigeon MS and then dispose of all his birds. Has Burmese fowls’ skins if WBT is interested.

Summary

A set of questions CD prepared for his meeting with WHM to discuss the geometry of bees’ cells.

Summary

Asks WDF for facts about stripes in horses and ponies.

Health has been very bad.

Summary

Is much obliged and honoured by the Diploma of the Geographical Society of Vienna.

Summary

Bees’ cells; GRW thinks hexagonal shape is accidental. Encloses notes on cells of Icaria.

Summary

"Excessively" interested in theory of bees’ cell formation.

Fears few of his pigeons will be of any use to WBT.

Hopes WBT will describe foreign poultry breeds.

Summary

Comments on letter from Georg Hartung to CL dealing with erratic boulders.

Discusses migration of plants and animals.

A letter from Thomas Thomson on heat endured by temperate plants.

Summary

Confidential revelation concerning W. F. Daniell.

Georg Hartung confirms CD’s supposition from flora of Azores that icebergs had been stranded there.

Summary

Has been at Moor Park since Tuesday. Is passing his time watching ants.

Summary

Thanks AAG for procuring an authoritative answer from T. M. Brewer on the habits of the [American] cuckoo. Surprised William Yarrell erred so much.

Wishes AAG had time to give an account of Japanese shells, which would be interesting from the geographical point of view.

Summary

[Copy of some rough notes.] References about species. Variations within species.

Summary

Thanks LJ for his book [Observations in meteorology (1858)].

CD has been working on his species book [Natural selection].

Has become dreadfully heterodox on immutability of species.

His work on pigeons: variation under domestication throws the greatest light on variation in a state of nature.

Summary

Asks LJ to lend him a copy of his paper ["Variation of species", Rep. BAAS 26 (1856): 101–5] and any notes or references he has. Although CD has a large accumulation of facts, it is impossible to see and consider too many.

His health is poor.

Summary

Thanks LJ for his MS [of "Variation of species", Rep. BAAS 26 (1856): 101–5].

Will read it at his hydropathic establishment [Moor Park], where he is going for a rest.

Summary

CD recounts an idyllic stroll and nap – "as pleasant a rural scene as ever I saw, and I did not care one penny how any of the beasts or birds had been formed".

Summary

Returns MS [of "Variation of species"]; several facts were new to him, especially interested in wagtails.

Wishes he could swallow Florent Prévost on sparrows ["Du régime alimentaire des oiseaux", C. R. Hebd. Acad. Sci. 46 (1858): 136–8].

LJ’s facts seem to bear out CD’s conclusion that secondary sexual characters were most variable of all.

Explains how he intends to deal with variation, and general facts in natural history in the light of species theory. Can only afford one chapter on variation in nature. It seems more important to make out variation in domestic animals.

Asks for facts on birds’ nests for his chapter on instincts.

Summary

Concerned about ED’s headaches, CD writes an affectionate letter.

Believes he has found a rare slave-making species of ant.

Is reading novels: Beneath the surface and Three chances.