Queries how much land has been used to cultivate potato varieties, and how many seedlings have been raised in any one year.

Encloses statement of U. S. sales of CD’s works to 1 Feb 1880 and sends a cheque for balance due to CD.

Sends seeds of Megarrhiza and gives details of species.

Encloses letter from James Caird, who has entire confidence in CD’s appropriation of the money [collected for Torbitt’s experiments].

Hopes to finish his report tomorrow; last year’s crosses were failures.

Asks about possible erratum in JT’s account of experiments.

Sends pheasant tail coverts, which he believes are unusual in pattern, resembling those of a peacock.

Thanks for sending article on inheritance.

Sends details of Netter 1879 (Abraham Netter. 1879. De l’intuition dans les découvertes et inventions. Strasbourg: Treuttel & Wurtz.)

Asks for additional information about JT’s potato experiments.

A letter of resignation from the Down Schools Committee. He will send a cheque for balance in hand when he is informed as to whom it is to be sent.

Thanks for letter and documents [about potato experiments]. Will send testimonial letter to James Caird to be circulated among possible financial supporters of JT’s work.

Wishes to see some small appointment found for A. R. Wallace, whose present labours are trying.

Asks AG to confirm whether Ipomoea leptophylla "makes a great tuber as big as a mangel-wurzel".

Petioles of Cotyledons behave partly like those of Megarrhiza.

German edition of Erasmus Darwin delayed because Murray has not sent phototypes and galvanographs.

Two of CD’s articles from Nature to appear in April Kosmos ["Sexual colours in butterflies", Collected papers 2: 220–2, Kosmos 7 (1880): 72–4;

"Fertility of hybrids from the Chinese goose", Collected papers 2: 219–20, Kosmos 7 (1880): 77–8].

Moritz Wagner will begin a series criticising natural selection.

Regrets delay of photographs [for German edition of Erasmus Darwin].

Offended by F. V. Dickins’ review [Nature 21 (1880): 350] of his Omori mound paper. Asks CD to have it reviewed elsewhere and encloses a letter to Nature he wants CD to forward. [See 12571.]

Thanks for Megarrhiza seeds and information. Has been greatly interested by Megarrhiza germination.

Samuel Butler has attacked CD over Erasmus Darwin.

Encloses a statement regarding the progress of Torbitt’s potato experiments, and discusses the handling of the fund CD holds for Torbitt.

Is impressed by the scale of Torbitt’s experiments. Discusses financial assistance. If Torbitt’s work succeeds, they will be amply repaid.