Their Lordships communicate their entire approval of the proposal in CD’s letter of 20 September 1837. [See 378a.]

CD’s reasons for his reluctance to take the Secretaryship of the Geological Society.

Report on J. G. Forchhammer’s communications on changes of levels of land in Denmark [Proc. Geol. Soc. Lond. 2 (1838): 554–6].

Sends an abstract made by J. F. Royle of CD’s paper ["On certain areas of elevation and subsidence in the Pacific and Indian Oceans"]. G. B. Greenough will have problems with the altered references in the coral island section.

Has returned from the country, and will superintend the revises [of Journal and remarks].

Can Mr Whiting send slips more often?

CD’s work [on Zoology] is going smoothly. Marvels at finding himself an author [of Journal of researches]. Part so far printed has a good many errata.

RF declines to give an opinion on the wording of the preface to CD’s volume [Journal and remarks, vol. 3 of Narrative, published separately as Journal of researches] and refers him to a disinterested third party.

CD’s response [missing] comes from the heart. RF explains that CD’s preface [to Journal and remarks, vol. 3 of Narrative] offended him in not acknowledging the part RF and the other officers had in helping CD. Beagle voyage was the first on which officers could have kept any specimens they collected, but they gave preference to CD.

Asks JSH to look over the prospectus [for Zoology]. Has one more chapter of Journal of researches to finish.

Sends remaining proofs of RO’s description of Toxodon [Fossil Mammalia] and a revise of first part. Will Owen want a second revise? CD has made "plenty of remarks".

Father says he sowed broom plants soon after house was built in 1798; these never came up. In 1835 the terrace was made; thereafter the broom sprang up.

Advice on a medicine CD is taking.

Writes following his visit to WDF.

Mentions fossils Fox has collected.

News of Albert Way.

Hensleigh Wedgwood has resigned his post because of scruples about taking oaths.

Responds to Lyell’s query [missing] about northern and southern limits of coral islands of the Pacific. Warns that coral islands are much more thinly distributed than people realise and cites examples. Comments on views of Matthew Flinders. Reading work of É[lie] de B[eaumont]. Notes difficulty of setting an east-west boundary to coral islands.

Sends perfect revise of "Toxodon" [Fossil Mammalia] which he has read and marked.

CD sorry RO is not well and fears work on Macrauchenia may have contributed. Thinks new name very good. Other details concerning publication [of Zoology, pt 1, no. 1].

Sends RO a box of fossils from William Darwin Fox, from the Isle of Wight.

Apologises for delay in thanking him for the flowers. Has been too unwell to write.

Morning Herald had an account of CD’s 80 specimens of Mammalia and 450 birds at the Zoological Society.

John Gould has described new species in CD’s Galapagos birds.

Much interest in CD’s "Laurels".

Family news.

Interested in Lyell’s address [Proc. Geol. Soc. Lond. 2 (1833–8): 479–523]. Asks what the points are on which CD and Lyell are fully agreed.

Inquires about the paper FitzRoy and CD wrote on missionaries ["Moral state of Tahiti" (1836), Collected papers 1: 19–38].

News of family.

Has just given a paper [on "Sand tubes"] at Cambridge Philosophical Society and exhibited some specimens. It went well, with Whewell and Sedgwick taking an active part.

Herschel thinks 6000–odd years since the creation not nearly long enough to explain the separations from a single stock.