Summary

Discusses the reception of CD’s views at Cambridge and elsewhere.

Variation delayed by the index, but will appear at the end of the year.

Summary

Lyell’s Antiquity of man lacks originality.

Statements in Lyell provoke CD to determine exact publication date of Origin and JDH’s introductory essay [to Flora Tasmaniae].

CD now believes in repeated periods of global cooling and migration.

Summary

Has been so unwell that he could do absolutely nothing on Origin [6th ed.]. A new chapter seven has cost much labour.

Sorry to hear R. I. Murchison is ill.

Summary

He had no idea that the double function of an excretory passage had played a part in the history of religion.

Summary

Forwards a letter. Has distributed 220 copies of the pamphlet [Darwinism 1871].

Thomas Henry Huxley has sent review of St George Jackson Mivart’s On the genesis of species and his review of Descent in Quarterly Review (Mivart 1871a and [Mivart] 1871c) to the Contemporary Review [18 (1871): 443–76] .

Summary

Comments on CK’s letter [3426].

Identifies species of pigeon shot by party.

On CK’s "grand and awful" notion of genealogy of man, CD recalls how revolting was the thought that his ancestors must have been like the Fuegians. His present belief that they were hairy beasts is less revolting.

Summary

Congratulates AG on the "grand news of Richmond".

Still interested in dimorphism and would welcome new cases.

Working on Variation

and correcting proofs of Climbing plants.

Would like seed of AG’s dimorphic Plantago.

Cannot understand how the wind could fertilise reciprocally dimorphic flowers.

Summary

Thanks RT for drawings of ocelli, especially for the description of ocelli of S. African Saturniidae. Would like to know of any cases in which the ocelli are confined to the male, to illustrate better the case of the peacock.

Summary

Did not think anyone would notice case of Lathyrus.

Recalls reading correspondent’s paper on great fir woods of Hampshire.

Thanks for photograph.

Summary

Discusses hybridisation in cowslip and primrose.

Mentions proposed visit.

Summary

Does not understand JDH on Pangenesis: on last page he appears to admit all that he regards as mere words on previous pages.

Wallace admires chapter on Pangenesis.

Pangenesis is a comfort. CD gains no idea from words like "potentiality" or "diffusing an influence"; atoms and cells give a distinct idea.

A. Newton told George that Berthold Seemann wrote the Athenæum review

and that Lewis [Lewes] did not write the Pall Mall Gazette review [see 5874].