Asks if Mr Salt could arrange to invest up to £30,000 on his behalf.

Has sent all the fossil pedunculated cirripedes in the Copenhagen collection, together with a letter from Johannes Steenstrup concerning changes he believes are needed in the descriptions.

Criticises Élie de Beaumont’s view of a right angle junction of a stream of lava and a dike.

Mentions his misgivings in voting to recommend J. D. Forbes for Royal Medal.

Notes Daniel Sharpe’s work on mica schist.

He is willing to wait until the end of February 1850 for Mr Salt to find him an opportunity to invest up to £30,000.

Has had his portrait taken;

is anxious about scarlet fever among his children.

Inquires about parcel of cirripede specimens lost in transit. Asks him to tell Steenstrup about the loss.

Asks to borrow specimen of Pollicipes from the Chalk.

Discusses J. D. Dana’s Geology [1849]. Pleased that the part on corals confirms his views [Coral reefs (1842)]. Discusses Dana’s observation that in Sandwich Islands lava streams often join dikes at right angles with no cone. Retracts earlier denial of this possibility. Criticises Dana’s view of Australian valleys.

Comments on JDD’s book [Geology (1849)]. Is sending copies of various geological papers. Their agreements and differences on coral reefs, volcanic geology, denudation, and subsidence.

Comments on Robert Chambers’ book [Ancient sea-margins (1848)].

Asks to borrow cirripede specimens.

Continues discussion of Dana’s Geology [1849]. Comments on dikes of Hawaiian volcanoes and Dana’s view of craters of denudation. Compares role of sea and rivers in forming valleys. Criticises Dana’s treatment of CD’s account of coral reefs.

Comments on AC’s experiments on Phlox and Mimulus.

Discusses his accounts.

Discusses the new genus, Alcippe, described by AH ["Notice of the occurrence on the British coast of a burrowing barnacle", Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 2d ser. 4 (1849): 305–14]. Comments on Lithotrya, Clitia, and Anatifa. Discusses cirripede larvae. Asks which Mollusca specimens AH wishes to borrow.

CD is distressed that JS’s shipment of fossils has been lost: "of all the Cirripedes in the world, I most wish to dissect the Alepas squalicola". Welcomes JS’s offer to send some northern recent species. CD finds great confusion in the current classification of cirripedes in British museums; different genera are made into one species, mere varieties are made into distinct species. If JS would give him some named common northern species, it would be of great assistance.

Thanks JSH for information and suggestions on benefit clubs,

and for a shipment of fossil cirripedes.

J. B. Innes is greatly obliged for JSH’s letter. JSH’s observation of chalk flints strikes CD as "very curious".

Regrets that state of his health prevents acceptance of invitation [to be present at inauguration of J. S. Henslow as President of Ipswich Museum in Dec 1850].

On domestication of pigeons and hybrid geese.

Thanks for his obliging note. Has already had one from John Murray. Hopes the Admiralty Manual will bear fruit. Has been at Malvern for three months and his health has improved enormously.

JDH writes to Darwin about his travels in Sikkim, specifically Kinchin [Kanchenjunga]. Account of other parts of travels, incl. Nepal, were set to Lyell. Discusses the geography of the region, comprised of many mountain spurs & two great rives, one the Teesta. Native villages built on terraces, not usually found above 5000 ft. Valleys are steep & clad in forest to 12000 ft. Discusses effect in varying mean elevation on vegetation e.g. tropical flora advances further North in Nepal. There is geological evidence of a larger body of water than the current rivers once covering the land, notably deposit of red clay to 12000 ft. Makes further detailed geological observations including notable lack of feldspar. Notes that holy lakes have no outlet but drain away underneath, describes visiting the largest of the lakes & rite performed there. Letter includes diagrams showing cross sections of the mountain ridges. Mentions a Bhothea temple: Catsuperri Goompa. Describes meeting [Archibald] Campbell & Sikkim Rajah at Teesta River & climbing a Mt with the former as high as an abandoned Buddhist Temple with an impressive view towards Bhutan & Nepal. Descended to the Great Rungeet River. Visited Pemiongchi convents with impressive paintings. Describes Yoksun [Yoksom] village, notable for being on rare flat ground, & ascent of Ratong Valley. Observes that abandoned salt trading post, Jongri, 13000 ft, is on a spur unusually covered with gravel mounds, granite boulders & little lake beds with shingle deposits, the formation of which is a mystery. Observes typical glacial & snow bed features appear in great number in Ratong Valley. Compares the forming spurs here to those in Nepal. Describes the peak of Pundim: made from Gneiss & veins of plutonic rock capped with white rock. Ends with some observations on quartz, mica schist & stratified rocks & absence of Hornblends augite or volcanic minerals. Sends regards to Wedgewoods & Bell.