Thanks for the present of the book [Thomas Belt, The naturalist in Nicaragua (1874)].

Calls CD’s attention to a book that deals with subjects related to both Descent and Expression: Ferdinand Jahn, Die abnormen Zustände des menschlichen Lebens als Nachbildungen und Wiederholungen normaler Zustände des Thierlebens [1842].

Must resign because of his health.

Booksellers approve of [9s] price for 2d edition of Descent. 1350 copies were sold at annual sale.

Thanks FTK for telling him of Jahn’s work [see 9719], of which CD had not heard. It would have been of greatest use in writing Descent.

An omission in a bibliographical note in Descent [2d English ed.].

Sends Murray’s report of November sales of CD’s books. "I am well content."

CD thanks LN for his book [Die Welt als Entwicklung des Geistes], which he hopes to read soon, but his poor German hampers him.

Thanks JVC for a correction to 2d English edition of Descent, which is now finished. 1350 copies were sold at Murray’s sale.

Asks for specimen of Aldrovanda for book on insect-eating plants.

On Drosera, with which MZ has worked for four years.

Extremely glad to have JDH come to Down. It is wise of JDH to exert himself and face the inevitable as well as he can. [Death of JDH’s wife, 13 Nov.]

Sends photograph of epileptic idiot and encloses case history.

RBS seeks a testimonial from CD; he is applying for the British Museum vacancy left by J. E. Gray’s resignation and A. Günther’s promotion.

Testimonial stating CD’s opinion of RBS’s fitness for a higher post at the British Museum.

Encloses a letter [from Huxley about his invitation to lecture at Edinburgh]. Has done his best to dissuade Huxley from accepting the burden.

JDH’s depression in bereavement.

LD’s letter recalled old scenes on board the Beagle.

CD’s "bothering correspondents" seem to increase in number and in folly; has just answered "two precious fools".

Has been working very hard on Droseraceae and can "now see daylight".

Quite agrees with JDH on inadvisability of Huxley’s taking on the Edinburgh lectures.

Is awaiting JDH’s memorial to the Board [of Works?] on his burdensome duties.

Glad to hear JDH finds ease in his work.

CD thinks better of "cousin paper" than GHD does.

With respect to GHD’s "viscous work", remembers endless discussions of movement of viscous matter 20 years back, apropos of movement of glaciers.

Huxley feels he can accept the Edinburgh lecture invitation.

Also tells JDH he is preparing a paper for Linnean Society on classification which will uphold evolution ["On the classification of the animal kingdom", J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Zool.) 12 (1876): 199–226]. He has thrown overboard all his old ideas of definite demarcation. He will make a clean breast of it, and will bear hard on necessity of all such ideas as Haeckel’s in dealing with systematic zoology.