[Samuel] Laurence, having painted the Prince of Wales, now wants to paint another great man; will use a photograph but would like a ten minute interview with CD to mix his tints.

Thanks for the copy of Orchids.

Is writing Diseases of women [1877]; sends some proof-sheets for criticism.

Thanks for essays ["Das Aufschiessen der Runkelrüben", Landwirtsch. Jahrb. Berlin 5 (1876): 31–45; "Die Züchtung neuer Getreide Varietäten", ibid 6 (1877): 193–233]. Surprised about Beta vulgaris.

CD has only a trifling point to make in criticism [of RLT’s excerpt from Diseases of women]: he believes "the high value of well-bred males is due to their transmitting their good qualities to a far greater number of offspring than can the female".

Thanks for new edition of Orchids.

The remarkable papers of Mott on Ernst Haeckel ["On Haeckel’s history of creation", Proc. Lit. & Philos. Soc. Liverpool 31 (1876–7): 41–89].

The part played by carbon in geological changes.

JDH discusses his and others’ experiments on survival of seeds. Impressed with resistance of some seeds and rapid decomposition of others. He wonders about "vitality" in the abstract.

Praise for Cross and self-fertilisation: most important point proved is benefit of crossing between related individuals grown under different conditions. This explains adaptive value of dispersal mechanisms.

Has observed the scarcity of humble-bees and subsequently of holly berries this year. But does not think humble-bees ever visit holly flowers, however plentiful they may be.

Thanks for CD’s frank criticism of his views.

Hooker advises him to apply for aid to work out glaciation between Pyrenees and Alps.

Lists misprints in Cross and self-fertilisation.

Sends observations and references relevant to a new edition of Expression.

Suggests CD write to Mr Fisher, a nurseryman, on his experiments with crossing varieties of holly.

Requests permission to use illustrations from F. Müller’s Facts and arguments for Darwin in the new edition [of his Habit and intelligence, 2d ed. (1879)].

CD notes growth of Royal Society may force it to hire officers.

Speculates on cold resistance of bacterial germs.

Will communicate to Royal Society Frank’s paper on the ingestion of solid particles by the protoplasmic protrusions of Dipsacus glands.

CD working on plant dimorphism.

Thanks CD for calling attention to a "considerable error" in his observations on Hottonia fertility [in Die Befruchtung der Blumen (1873)]. [See Forms of flowers, p. 52.]

Sends his papers [unspecified].

Linnaeus was a "Darwinist" because he placed the simians in the genus Homo.

JDH recounts discussion at Royal Society over Günther’s paper on distribution and affinities of gigantic tortoises ["Description of the living and extinct races of gigantic land-tortoises, Parts III and IV", Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 25 (1876–7): 506–7]. Huxley suggests they are Miocene relics.

Royal Society will publish Frank’s Dipsacus paper [but see 10971 and 11073].

Thiselton-Dyer will review Cross and self-fertilisation.

On Royal Society Council’s deliberations on awards. GJA argues that older men should be given first claim lest they die neglected; CD had stressed importance of encouraging younger men.

CD thinks A. Günther’s tortoises are relics of closely allied forms, once widely distributed. Expressed this view to AG a few months ago. Cannot explain their restriction to volcanic islands.

Sends CD parts of the Annales [Soc. Bot. Lyon] in response to his request for a particular article.

States that, despite CD’s work, he does not believe that any plants, including insectivorous ones, can utilise organic material, and that they live solely on mineral elements in the soil and air.