Summary

Encloses letter from R. S. Ball [missing], who has placed reliance on Samuel Haughton’s wild speculations.

Has heard that J. Challis’s health is worse.

Summary

Has sent last week’s Nature wth J. S. Newberry’s paper ["Hypothetical high tides", Nature 25 (1882): 357–8]. CD thinks Newberry is right. This week’s issue has a letter against Newberry by Charles Callaway ["Letters to the editor: hypothetical high tides", Nature 25 (1882): 385].

The Archbishop of Canterbury has launched a series by scientists in the Contemporary Review on what is known and what is theoretical in science. [The series appears to have begun with an article by Robert S. Ball, "The boundaries of astronomy", 41 (1882): 923–41]. CD was asked to participate, but refused.

Summary

Sends date of his mother’s death – 7 Apr 1859.

Was completely mystified by conjuring performance of [John Nevil] Maskelyne.

Summary

Letter from school with instructions where to put away his belongings at home.

Summary

Writes about their new billiard table.

Summary

Leonard Darwin has scarlet fever so GHD has said he should be sent home and has asked E. A. Williams to call at Down.

Summary

Describes insects caught while visiting Lythrum.

Summary

Notes, calculations, and diagrams on phyllotaxy.

Summary

Discusses some angles [relating to phyllotaxy].

The forthcoming school holidays.

Summary

Enquires about the relationship of English grains to French milligrammes.

Summary

Calculates the relationship between grains and milligrams; asks his mother for a fruit tart and twelve napkins.

Summary

Asks GHD what the chances are against squinting and non-squinting children coming alternately in a family of ten.

Summary

CD has come to think a name better than "Pangenesis" is needed. Asks GHD to get a suggestion from a classics scholar. "Cell-genesis wd be perfect if it cd be put into Greek."

Summary

Has asked a classics scholar about a word for Pangenesis. He suggests "atomogenesis".

Is getting in rather a fright about the coming exams.

Summary

Congratulations on GHD’s brilliant tripos success.

Summary

John Lubbock regrets GHD did not take the Eton post. JL thinks scientific masters will soon occupy places as high and as profitable as classical masters.

Summary

CD relays the advice of Sir W. R. Grove on the dismal prospects of a law career.

Summary

Discusses law versus engineering and business as a career.

Supposes ARW will have "squashed" GHD’s criticisms of his notes on sterility.

Summary

Sends news of his and Frank’s doings at Cambridge.

Summary

Asks GHD to look in William Thomson’s book [W. Thomson and P. G. Tait, Treatise on natural philosophy, vol. 1 (1867)] to see how many million years ago Thomson says earth’s crust solidified. CD is troubled by "brevity of the world", because pre-Silurian creatures must have lived during endless ages "else my views wd be wrong, which is impossible – Q.E.D.".