Summary

A new [German] edition of Expression is to be done. Has CD anything to add or alter?

JVC cites an article on cessation of breathing during mental concentration that supports Gratiolet as quoted in Expression, p. 179.

Summary

Thanks for Chapman 1873 (Chapman, John. 1873. Neuralgia and kindred diseases of the nervous system).

Summary

Has heard from Ashwin Conway Newman of Guy’s Hospital of a case of a child without any prepuce whose father was a renegade, uncircumcised Jew, but whose ancestors had all been Jews. Newman thinks this a good case of inheritance with reversion. JP’s letter [missing] now shows how rash such a conclusion would be.

Summary

Sends a paper on evolution by his friend J. D. MacDonald ["Distribution of Invertebrata", Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 21 (1872–3): 218–23] for CD’s perusal before dispatching it to the Royal Society.

Summary

CD responds to a poem, "Comus", and a New Orleans Mardi Gras editorial; he cannot tell from the "wonderful mistakes" whether the writer is "witty, ignorant, or blunders for the sake of fun".

Summary

Has no corrections for second German edition [of Expression]. Plans to bring out an improved edition in a year or two.

Thanks for reference JVC sent.

Summary

At Asa Gray’s request, responds to CD’s questions about WMC’s observations on Dionaea and particularly about the size of the insects captured and the excitability of the leaves after an insect is captured.

Summary

He does not accept Wallace’s definition of instinct because it excludes "inherited experience", i.e., "knowledge acquired by and transmitted through ancestors".

House-flies do not seem to have an instinctive fear of trap-door spiders.

Miss Forster gives him news of CD.

Summary

Thanks for J. D. MacDonald’s paper ["Distribution of invertebrata", Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 21 (1872–3): 218–23].

CD feels lines of genetic connection between animals offer a most difficult problem; Ernst Haeckel may have done mischief by facing the difficulty.

Summary

A letter of recommendation for W. B. Dawkins in his application for the Woodwardian professorship of geology in the university of Cambridge.

Summary

Is glad JEG has made out what the guemul is ["On the Guémul", Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 4th ser. 10 (1872): 445–6; 11 (1873): 214–20, 308–10].

Summary

Cannot find a publisher for Italian translation of Expression. Gives up the project.

Summary

Would like a museum set up illustrating origins, varieties, and uses of domestic animals; seeks CD’s approval of the idea.

Summary

Forwards Matthew Arnold’s Literature and dogma [1873].

Hopes they can secure Hooker for President of Royal Society.

Summary

Thanks MA for his Literature and dogma [1873].

Summary

Encloses cheque for 1000 guineas, CD’s share of profits on first 7000 copies of Expression.

Summary

Thinks FBG’s idea of a room at the British Museum of domestic birds and animals an excellent one, but a collection of plants would be much more difficult.

Summary

Is sorry that CIFM has had to give up translating Expression into Italian.

Summary

Is glad JLGK has been interested in Descent.

Thanks him for his observations on monkey behaviour [see 8698]

and drawings of skulls, which CD has sent to George Busk.

Summary

Is drawing up the account of his crossing experiments. Requests JDH to add the families after nine genera, the names of which he encloses. Whenever there is no objection he would like to arrange the families in some sort of natural order.

Recommends Spalding’s article on instinct in Macmillan’s Magazine [27 (1873): 265–81].