Thanks for CD’s assistance and his advice on crossing.

Two student adherents of his theory correct an error in Insectivorous plants.

Observations on expression and variation in cats.

Is elated by his work on the alteration in the earth’s axis and the displacement of the poles. [See 10689.]

Apologises for placing CD in the objectionable position of sponsor for a rejected paper. RLT has gone over old ground in ignorance.

Forwards copies of CD’s geology books.

CD’s servant submits estimate for work to be done on pantry.

Informs CD which woodblocks of illustrations to the Geology of "Beagle" are in their possession and which are missing.

Good news about Frankland. Expecting burnt earth. Almost finished the Foodbodies Paper on Acacia. He and Amy are learning to use the new printing machine.

Writes of his "geo-mathematical" work.

On his new paper for Royal Society on a point of leaf arrangement. Asks CD to communicate it and "gives some details of its contents", e.g., recorded observations of changing leaf-order on individual specimens.

Comments on a paper by George Henslow ["Helianthus tuberosus", Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 26 (1876): 647].

Responds to CD’s query as to the duration of crossed varieties of peas. [See Cross and self-fertilisation, p. 305.]

Has read letter from Jemmy. Amy has been practicing on the printing machine. Fritz has come back from the Vicar of Orpington.

Two parts of the second edition of the Italian translation of Variation are already out.

Expression will soon follow [published in 1878].

The publisher [Unione] asks CD to give him the right of Italian translations of his works.

Has repeated his observations and experiments used in Insectivorous plants; finds them sound.

Revises his reference to production of pepsin.

Sends Die Perigenesis der Plastidule [1876]. Comments on CD’s theory of Pangenesis. Explains his own theory of Perigenesis.

Returns Webb and Berthelot, Îles Canaries; Géographie botanique [1840].

Describes work on 3d ed. of Anthropogenie.

A reader of Descent offers two items: 1. Masters observed a pericardial fold in humans and other mammals which is a vestigial left superior vena cava;

2. JM suggests the frenum of the human penis became necessary for vis-à-vis copulation when man became bipedal.

Sends her article on Utricularia ["Is the valve of Utricularia sensitive?", Harper’s New Mon. Mag. 52 (1875): 382–7].

Proposes to write on Sarracenia ["Carnivorous plants of Florida", Harper’s New Mon. Mag. 53 (1876): 546–8, 710–14].

Sends his copies of CD’s MS of Cross and self-fertilisation and calls attention to errors in addition.

Has become Professor of Botany at Genoa.

Offers to send his paper on the necessity of out-crossing.