JDH thanks William Turner Thiselton-Dyer for 'the Forsythia letters'. JDH writes that he will 'send Dr Mcnab's to Godfrey Wesgewood'. Informs WTTD that G. Lindley is father of [John] Lindley & is a nurseryman in Norwich, where J. Lindley was 'discovered' by JSH's father, William Jackson Hooker and introduced to Joseph Banks. JDH criticises the current parliament as ineffectual & mentions Bryer in particular. More plant specimens have arrived from George King. JDH has given up working on Poa until Otto Stapf has put the new India specimens in order & is working on Festuca & Bromus. He comments that the grasses in general have been 'laid in' & named very badly. JDH criticises William Munro's naming, except of Bambuseae & comments that judging from Gamble's monograph Munro had poor material to work with. He gives as an example the confusion between identifying Avenas & Bromi. He is confident that Stapf will do good work on the grasses in the RBG Kew herbarium. JDH is unable to accept Harriet [Thiselton-Dyer née Hooker's] invitation to come to Kew as JDH's gardener is sick adding to his already heavy workload.