Deeply grateful for THH’s tribute to him at conferring of LL.D. at Cambridge.

Gives exceptions to maize being monoecious, as CD claims in Cross and self-fertilisation; reversion may be cause of hermaphrodite flowers observed.

Sends paper on potatoes and asks CD to republish.

Thinks EH’s translation of Cross and self-fertilisation [1877] is excellent.

Would like him to do Forms of flowers, but Reinwald is afraid to have it translated in the present political state of France.

A poem in tribute to CD following the award of his Cambridge LL.D.

He said nothing in his tribute to CD that was not strictly accurate. Has written out a version as well as he can recollect it and will send CD a copy.

Sends letter from Fritz Müller [11191] containing observations on plants and insects of South Brazil, with prefatory comments.

Asks GHD to determine whether there are worm-castings in cloisters of [Neville?] Court.

Enjoyed his visit to Cambridge. Asks for newspaper account of the LL.D.

Will look for worm-castings in the cloisters,

and will send CD items from the Cambridge papers on the honorary degree.

Has hit on a possible fallacy in W. Thomson’s theory of secular cooling of the earth.

Sends plant specimens of a hybrid he has raised by crossing two species of Rubus. Describes procedure by which he obtained them. Cites his paper on hybridisation.

Asks CD if he would like to sign GHD’s Royal Society proposal for membership.

Honoured to be elected an honorary member of the Société Géologique de Belgique.

Thinks he had better not sign GHD’s paper [as a candidate for F.R.S.], since he obviously is no judge of the quality of his work.

Asks if Thomson did not overlook heat generated by the crushing and folding of strata during the refrigeration of the globe.

Neptunia seeds germinated by applying great heat. CD wants advice of Kew gardener, R. I. Lynch, on how to proceed.

Printed public oration for CD’s Cambridge doctorate enclosed.

Sends CD his share of profits on Descent and Forms of flowers.

Wants to reprint Cross and self-fertilisation because supply of copies is entirely exhausted.

Congratulates CD on his Cambridge honour [LL.D.].

Sends proboscis of a Sphinx-moth that is 22 cms long.

Discusses eleven species of butterfly which visit Lantana, a plant which blooms only for three days and whose flowers are yellow on the first day, orange on the second, and purple on the third. Most species only visit the flowers when they are yellow.

Describes and draws the odiferous organs of a Sphinx-moth.

Describes a secondary sexual character of several species of Callidryas and other Pierinæ: the costal margin of the anterior wing is sharply serrated in the males, while it is smooth in the females.

LD is supplying coloured-glass light filters for CD’s experiments.

Suggests revisions in JDH’s 1877 Presidential Address to the Royal Society [Proc. R. Soc. Lond. (1877): 427–46].

On publishing details for various CD books.

Has no corrections for new issue of Descent [2d ed.].

Questions amount of cheque for profits.

Answers CD’s query about payment made to him [for Descent and Forms of flowers] and explains the basis on which it was made. Because of CD’s wish to be paid before editions are sold off, profits must be estimated. If he were willing to accept annual statements of sales, payments based on them, and final accounting when all were sold, there would be no uncertainty. This is JM’s usual practice.

Congratulates W. E. Darwin, who is about to be married,

and CD for the LL.D. conferred upon him by Cambridge.