Sends paper on the coasts of Alaska.

Wishes to sell his large Russian palaeontological collection.

Wants to get in touch with American (Mr Dall), who is going to study geology of Alaskan and Aleutian coast.

Asks CD whether he will find a translator and publisher for a paper Dr A wrote in 1870, siding with Carl Vogt in defence of CD’s view of descent of man.

CD believes that StGJM has been unfair in his criticisms and has misrepresented him; he begs him not to write again. "Agassiz has uttered splendid sarcasms on me, but I still feel quite friendly towards him. M. Flourens cd. not find words to express his contempt of me: Pictet & Hopkins argued with great force against me: Fleeming Jenkin covered me with first-rate ridicule; & his crticisms were true & most useful: but none of their writings have mortified me as yours have done …" [See 8154.]

Battle for CD’s nomination to the French Academy continues.

Thanks for sending his article in the Westminster Review [n.s. 41 (1872): 28–49] and the notice of CD’s work.

Natural selection is under a cloud at present, but CD expects that it will be resuscitated.

Questions AG on earthworm activity in North America and would welcome information from northern Canada if AG has a correspondent there.

Obliged for QdeB’s efforts [to have CD elected member of Académie Française].

With regard to stress that QdeB lays on man’s walking on two legs, no one attributes much significance to difference in mode of locomotion between seals and terrestrial Carnivora or kangaroos and other marsupials.

Is resuming the study of worm-casts as he believes they will bear on the denudation of land. Requests specific information on the relative number, size, and manner of deterioration of worm-casts in India.

A friend of JJA’s wants CD’s opinion on whether the disease porigo decalvans (hair falling out in clumps) demonstrates the link between man and dogs and has continued to evolve with man after he passed out of his "hairy-animal state".

Capt. [Richard?] Burton disagrees with CD’s notion of beauty in the abstract, and would like to meet him.

Has no objection to CD’s alluding to FM’s idea that sexual selection has come into play in mimetic butterflies.

Reports observations on other butterflies and on termites.

Is sending the requested photograph.

Mr Murray will send a copy of CD’s Journal of researches to L. S. Bouton [see 8107a].

His father has gone to Egypt.

Tells of visit to circus.

Has some birds which are allegedly the result of a cross between a common fowl and a guinea-fowl; describes their appearance, and will provide CD with likenesses.

Sends a pamphlet [not identified] in which he applies the principle of natural selection to the working of legislative institutions.

Requests a prescribed physic [not specified].

Thanks recipient for memoir on fossil plants of the Devonian and Upper Silurian.

Thanks LHM for his work on consanguinity. [See 7299].

Describes the occurrence of earthworms and the signs of earthworm activity in the neighbourhood.

Gives results of probing worm-holes with wire.

Discusses his paper on mimicry and natural selection [Land and Water 9 (1871): 321]. Believes natural selection tends to fix mimetic characters rigidly.