Summary

More details on children with hairy backs;

reasons for greater mortality rate of male children.

Summary

Discusses breeding fancy pigeons from the wild blue rock-dove.

Summary

Sends scraps of information. Everything he has sent is unreservedly at CD’s disposal.

Summary

Questions CD’s attribution of a sense of beauty to animals and his use of natural selection to explain phenomena JM feels it more appropriate to describe as social selection.

Summary

Many thanks for copy of Descent.

Would like to visit CD when he comes to England.

Summary

On the power of concentration to influence body organs.

Summary

Parallel between CD’s account of morality [in Descent], of social instinct preceding selfishness, and Henry Maine’s account of notions of property of a community preceding individual property [in Ancient law (1861)].

Summary

On private property, with regard to tools and arms; comments on Maine’s book and the history of law regarding property.

Summary

Reports case of apparent consciousness of complicity in an elephant.

Believes that Darwinism is applicable to Greek language.

Summary

Is delighted at the sale of Descent. What CD says about her help pleases her very much and the proposed gift as a memorial will be very precious to her. Is looking forward to seeing the family in London. Comments on a letter comparing CD's appearance to an ape. Is surprised CD has had no effect on Wallace: 'It seems to me his mind can’t be so clear as u used to think it'. Has worked out why she is dissatisfied with T. H. Huxley's essay ‘On the physical basis of life’ (T. H. Huxley 1869).

Summary

Anecdotal comments on various sections of Descent:

Red Indians erecting their ears;

reasoning in a pet antelope, stag deer, and mongoose;

use of foot as prehensile organ by carpenters in India.

Summary

On reading Descent was reminded of having seen, on a visit to an idiot asylum with her father [J. S. Henslow], a woman with long pointed ears.