Sends payment for Francis Darwin’s tutoring. Inquires about possible arrangements for his son Leonard, who is slow and not well, to attend with Francis.

Asks whether he can have a cutting of GVR’s carrion-smelling Arum which he needs for an experiment.

Returns JDH’s proofs. He is so involved in Origin he cannot judge force of JDH’s arguments. Some detailed comments.

Haldeman’s old paper [see 2470] clever, but does not have natural selection. Explaining adaptation has always seemed turning point of theory of natural selection.

Discusses affairs at Down and WED’s coming trip to the Lakes.

Is getting on very slowly with his "confounded proof-sheets" [of Origin].

His uncle, Sir Francis Sacheverel Darwin, has asked if FSD’s son-in-law, Marcus Huish, can shoot over CD’s Beesby property. Can JH advise?

Suggests giving Marcus Huish permission to shoot over CD’s Beesby estate, but not to revoke JH’s occasional privilege to take a visitor shooting there.

Has written to his uncle, Sir Francis Sacheverel Darwin, to say that without revoking the right of shooting over Beesby, granted to JH, he is happy to allow Marcus Huish to shoot over the farm.

Sends five sheets [of Origin] to printer. Incapable of forming an opinion, but thinks he has the style "fairly good and clear". Cannot conjecture if book will be successful enough to satisfy JM.

Thanks RM for copies of CD’s article on geology in the Admiralty scientific manual [J. F. W. Herschel ed., A manual of scientific enquiry (1849)].

CD wants JDH to make clear in introduction to Flora Tasmaniae that remarks on CD’s theory refer to his 1858 paper ["On the tendency of species to form varieties", Collected papers 2: 3–19].

Thanks for answer to queries.

Expresses intention of reporting observations of traces of life in the Long Mynd beds and asks permission to cite ACR on his recent discovery of fossils in the Laurentian marbles of Canada.

Urges ACR’s investigation of Glen Roy problems.

Acknowledges the proof sheets of the new edition of the Physical Geography of the Sea. Will read them with the attention they deserve. Does not at present agree with the theories of MM.

A. D. Bache reports that self-recording instruments are installed at Washington observatory and ready to begin observations. ES is making field observations to confirm changes in magnetic lines in England since ES's 1837 survey. [JH annotation: Summary of Bache's letter. Joint survey by Smithsonian Institution and U.S. Coast Survey will begin when Bache receives full instructions from Sabine.]

Does JH wish to alter ES's reply to A. D. Bache? Origins of names for American rivers. Hopes JH is well enough to accept the invitation of Lord Aberdeen [G. Hamilton-Gordon].

Replied to J. A. da Silva that Kew Observatory would gladly train Portuguese observers and superintend manufacture of instruments, but that ES could not speak for English government. [JH annotation: Summary of letter from da Silva, director of meteorological observatory in Lisbon, requesting training for Portuguese observers at Kew, British influence on Portuguese government to join magnetic survey, and advice on instruments.]

Sees no need for changes to the plates for Outlines Astr.

Discusses desirability of middle latitude stations in North America. Impressed by the work of [A. D.] Bache.

Sends newspaper article about the meteor fall in Oswego County. Compares the account to a meteorite that fell in the Santiago Plains of Chile. Discusses authenticity of suspected meteorite specimens.

Thanks for his interesting communication to the Photographic News and for the spectra. Gives details of his own photographic experiments with Iodide of silver.

His Daguerreotype arrived safely. Hopes to get some better photographs of the spectra before the end of the summer. Sees why their results differ.

Note accompanying something being discussed in the music world.