Summary

Will return Benjamin Jowett’s Epistles of St Paul (Jowett 1855) and requests several books, of which the latest is Hugh Miller’s Cruise of the Betsey (Miller 1858).

Summary

Relates domestic affairs.

Thinks his bees’ cell theory will hold good.

Summary

CD’s receipt of diploma from Caesarea Leopoldino-Carolina Academy [Dresden].

Summary

Hopes to begin pigeon MS in a week.

Has lately been working on bees’ cells and wishes very much to examine a cylindrical one.

Summary

Discusses bees’ cells. Wants hive and swarm; would be glad to have WBT’s box with commenced cells. "I am partly a disciple of Waterhouse, but not wholly."

Summary

Pleased with JDH’s reaction to MS on large and small genera.

Confident of soundness of principle of divergence.

CD experimenting on pollination mechanism of Leguminosae. Asks JDH to investigate Fumariaceae.

Summary

Acknowledges receipt of £242 11s. 10d.

Summary

Encloses MS by A. R. Wallace. CD has been forestalled. " . . . if Wallace had my MS sketch written out in 1842 he could not have made a better short abstract!" Wallace does not say if he wishes CD to publish MS, but CD will offer to send it to journal.

Summary

There is much weight in what RIM says about not breaking up the natural history collection of the British Museum. The botanical collection might be moved to Kew, but CD thinks "it would be the greatest evil which could possibly happen to natural science in this country if the other collections were ever to be removed from the British Museum and Library".

Summary

Thanks for hive.

Has started [writing up] pigeons and hopes to have finished with them in a week or two.

Summary

Etty [Henrietta Darwin] very ill with diphtheria.

Summary

Extremely sorry for trouble he has given about his signature.

One child dangerously ill with diphtheria, another with much fever.

Summary

Gives his opinion of the charges against E. W. Lane.

Summary

Everything in Wallace’s sketch also appears in CD’s sketch of 1844. A year ago CD sent a short sketch of his views to Asa Gray. Can CD honourably publish his sketch now that Wallace has sent outline of his views? "I would far rather burn my whole book than that he or any man shd. think that I had behaved in a paltry spirit." Does not believe Wallace originated his views from anything CD wrote to him.

Summary

Is it fair to take advantage of knowing that Wallace is in the field? Seems hard on CD to lose priority of many years, but does not feel this alters justice of case.

Baby [Charles Waring Darwin] has much fever. Frightened because three children in village have died from scarlet fever.

Summary

Profoundly sorry for Lane.

Thanks WDF for facts about call ducks, pigs, and Leicester sheep.

Has been observing and experimenting on the construction of bees’ cells. Thinks he has a theory which simplifies the problem.

Scarlet fever in family; nurse ill.

Summary

Death of Charles Waring Darwin [1856–8] from scarlet fever.

JDH’s and Lyell’s kindness [presumably about A. R. Wallace’s letter]. CD can provide a copy of his letter to Asa Gray [about CD’s species theory].

Summary

JDH wants papers at once. CD sends Wallace’s paper and CD’s abstract of his letter to Asa Gray. Sends [species] sketch of 1844 with JDH’s notes to assure JDH he had read it.