Hopes to be able to help Cambridge Philosophical Society with his collections, but thinks most will have to go to British Museum.

Describes Beagle quarters, the surgeon [Robert McCormick, M.D.], and officers.

Asks JSH’s advice on studying mathematics.

Sends cirripede specimens for Ipswich Museum.

Asks how much a village fireworks display would cost.

Comments on the need in education for good habits of expression and accurate observation instead of making "wretched Latin verses".

Sends an enclosure forwarded from Down.

Sailing date fixed for end of month. Beagle is beautiful. Details of instructions and route. Hopes voyage will not exceed four years. Quarters very confined. Considers Jenyns did wisely in not coming. If CD were longer out of college and some years older he never could have endured it.

Is sending plates for R. T. Lowe’s paper [Trans. Cambridge Philos. Soc. 4 (1833): 1–70].

Adds advice on working the surd.

Agrees with CD that Beagle voyage would have been wrong for Jenyns, but assures him he (CD) is the right man. Warns CD against his "foible" of taking offence at rudeness or ungentlemanlike behaviour.

CD has been reassured about his "speculation" in Mr Warren’s company. Thanks JSH for his advice and trouble.

Would like to meet JSH in London.

Confusion on board the Beagle at definite prospect of sailing. Gives directions for sending mail to Montevideo.

Honoured and gratified by the dedication [to CD] of Hooker’s book [Himalayan journals].

News of Lyell from Madeira.

News of Cambridge: the recent examinations; memorial tablet for Marmaduke Ramsay.

Sends his comments on JSH’s MS on cirripedes ["On typical objects in natural history", Rep. BAAS (1855): 108–26].

Asks JSH to inquire about drift-wood at Kerguelen Land.

Hooker’s observation on similarity of Kerguelen plant species to those of Tierra del Fuego strikes CD as a great anomaly, so he is searching for an answer, "however improbable".

Acknowledges a list [of plants?].

Looks forward to new edition [of British plants growing wild in the parish of Hitcham, Suffolk, 2d ed. (1855)].

JSH should not trouble about Anacharis until he is less busy. Will send cirripedes.

Thanks JSH for Anacharis which is flourishing.

P. H. Gosse told him he had several sea animals and algae living in artificial sea-water for over 13 months.

Asks whether JSH considers Lychnis diurna and L. vespertina species or varieties.

Asks for help with his work on hybrids.

Would like JSH to go over London catalogue of British plants, marking "close species", i.e., those he considers real species but which are very closely allied. Withholds his motive as it might influence the result.

Has found Agrostis with worms in every germen and no stamens on stigma.

Now has 46 kinds of peas all growing together.

Red and white campions: JSH regards them as races, not species; a flesh-coloured intermediate exists.

Sends a list of plants with stamps to pay the Hitcham girls who will collect seeds for him.

Describes his work with seeds in salt water.

For his experiments he would like seeds collected from plants that grow both near Hitcham and in the Azores.

Explains again what JSH should do in marking "close species".

His first letter to JSH since December. Recounts his seasickness, geologising and marine collecting at St Jago [Santiago, Cape Verde Is.]; his first tropical forest. Collecting small insects from the tropics. His Welsh trip with Sedgwick has been extremely valuable.

Thanks JSH for seeds.

Clarifies his request about marking [London] catalogue [of British plants] – JSH is to mark those he thinks really are species, but which are very closely allied to some other species.

Asks for advice on establishing a control group in his experiments to produce sports and varieties of Lychnis diurna.

Seeks seeds of wild Dianthus for hybridising and producing varieties.