Gives CD some information on wills.

Sends Field with an account of the cat show; examples of cats with three extra toes.

Sexual preference of a blue turbit.

CD did not return skull of the horned cock figured in Variation [1: 265].

Discusses legal matters; CD’s will and setting up trusts for Henrietta Darwin’s forthcoming marriage.

Thanks for ducks’ skins, for which he encloses postal order.

Regrets ill health will prevent his attending the BAAS meeting at Edinburgh.

Thanks AGB for "various notes".

Would like to hear his views about the Brahmaea.

Refers H. H. Howorth, the writer of "A new view of Darwinism" [Nature 4 (1871): 161–2], to Variation for a discussion of fertility and sterility of organisms in relation to increased food and other factors.

Would be delighted to see CVR at Down, but is in precarious health and cannot talk to anyone for more than an hour.

Wrote to CVR a few weeks ago to thank him for his book [see 7794].

Will expect CVR on Thursday unless he hears otherwise.

Plans to write an account of his trip to Morocco and, with John Ball, the botanical geography, for Linnean Society.

Results mainly negative; the Atlas exhibits "the dying out of European flora".

Only two or three beetles above 8000ft.

Disappointed that Canary Island species are absent from Atlas mountains; but an ocean current along Moroccan coast should help migration of Spanish, Portuguese, and Moroccan seeds to Canaries and Madeira.

Describes Lyell’s poor physical condition. Asks CD for his observations of symptoms.

Has never before noticed with care the markings on finger-ends. Compares them to the complex whirl-pool patterns of human foetal lanugo.

Lady Lyell’s anxiety over Lyell’s health.

Preparing new edition of Origin.

Asks whether anything was observed [in Morocco] on expressions.

Did JDH notice whether pollen-masses in Ophrys apifera in N. Africa fall on the stigma, as in England?

He did observe that Ophrys apifera fertilised itself as CD described and O. lutea as well.

Moroccans are too civilised, taciturn, and unfriendly to make anything of them for expressions of emotions.

Moraines and negative results on Atlas alpine flora are the only points of the journey worth much.

Thanks author of an anonymous Swedish review of CD’s works [in Samtiden, Vecksckrift för politik och litteratur, ed. C. F. Bergstedt, nos. 23–5 (1871): 358–64, 374–81, 390–7]. CD is surprised to learn the Origin has appeared in Swedish [1869].

JJM’s Origin translation is being held up so that it can conform to the 6th English edition.

Mammae in human males.

The role of natural selection in the development of beards and manes of animals.

Hereditary pointing in setters.

Thanks for letter of introduction for his sons visiting America.

Requests advice about Chauncey Wright’s article on Mivart’s Genesis of species [North Am. Rev. 113 (1871): 64–103]. CD thinks of publishing it as a pamphlet to counter impact of Mivart’s criticism of natural selection.

Does not think WRG’s theory [about ridges of skin on palm and finger-ends?] will hold.

Does not believe the beard in monkeys and goats could be protective like the lion’s mane.

Thanks him for fact about setters.

Is perplexed about the reported milk secretion in pubescent boys.

Reports observations on expression in the blind; facial contortions and blushing.

CD is allowing his family to decide whether Chauncey Wright’s paper on Mivart is dull.

Health and despondency.

Doubts his ability to answer Mivart successfully [in 6th ed. of Origin].