Thanks for C. E. Norton’s address.

Tyndall’s answer [Nature 8 (1873): 399] has surprised and disappointed him;

great trouble in announcing Tyndall’s election as President Elect [of BAAS] yesterday. Tyndall may throw up the Presidency. Spottiswoode and JDH have concocted a letter telling him the facts.

A very poor dull meeting. Comments on papers by W. C. Williamson, Clerk Maxwell, David Ferrier, Burdon Sanderson [Rep. BAAS 43: lxx–xci, 23–32,126–7, 131–3].

Has heard Huxley is back quite well.

Sends CD an account that has the novelty of having a balance against CD.

Will follow EF’s suggestions as to securing purity of fibrin.

Discusses apple specimens received from CL; reversion to crab state. Cites passage on subject in Variation.

Comments on letter from Mr Wood on inheritance in fruit-trees.

Would like to cross flowers of "Hawthornden" with many distinct varieties.

CD will have to make heavy corrections in Expression and Descent if there ever is a new edition of either.

Will soon begin another book [Insectivorous plants].

It and a second one [Cross and self-fertilisation] will sell only "very specially".

Seedling vigour resulting from crossing of parents.

CD to publish work on insectivorous plants.

Comments on EH’s Natürliche Schöpfungsgeschichte [4th ed.].

Has written paper on rudimentary structures ["Complemental males of certain cirripedes", (1873) Collected papers 2: 177–82].

Edward Morse thinks brachiopods should be classed with annelids ["The systematic position of the Brachiopoda", Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. 15 (1873): 315–73].

EAD sees advantages to Frank’s becoming CD’s assistant.

Criticises CD’s letter to Nature ["Complemental males in certain cirripedes", Collected papers 2: 177–82].

On the elimination of useless parts.

GHD fails to see the point of CD’s use of the law of distribution about a mean.

Acknowledges CD’s cheque.

Sends CD cheque for profits on Orchids and a statement of stock on hand of CD’s works [missing].

Origin and Expression sales are stagnant.

Sends corrections of Descent and Expression.

The Royal Society referees have rejected HA’s phyllotaxy paper, and it will not be printed in Philosophical Transactions. HA is not sorry for he has found new facts which limit the applicability of his views. Now believes that the original leaf arrangement was not necessarily always two-ranked but rather that existing arrangements have developed from a variety of forms with differing numbers of leaf-ranks.

Had read Tyndall’s letter [Nature 8 (1873): 399] – awfully savage, but certainly a great mistake to print it.

Thinks JDH will think better of Clerk Maxwell’s paper after he reads it.

Asks whether JDH could find out for him the temperature of rain in very hot countries.

Seeks an interview with CD to discuss reorganisation of Gardeners’ Chronicle.

Returns CD’s books and discusses apples and Crags at Sudbury.

Has sent CD some pure distilled water for his Drosera experiments.

CD refuses an interview because of a severe headache, but wishes all success to the Gardeners’ Chronicle.

Is sending washings of 445 leaves in EF’s distilled water with 20 grains of carbonate of soda. Details of the difficulties and complications involved.

Sends proofs of pages on shells with revised species names. Discusses Crag Moll, Sutton and Butley Red Grag, and Scrobicularia beds. Son asks him to thank Lyell for extract from Darwin’s book.

No summary available.