Asks whether the twins WO reported to CD [see 5470] were named Macrae. F. Galton has told him of a similar case with twins so named who inherited crooked little fingers from the maternal side [see Variation, 2d ed., 2: 240]. [The twins referred to by WO were actually his sisters, see 10170.]

From Galton’s "twin study" he suspects that some progenitor of WO’s had the peculiarities in question.

Has collected cases of signs of assent for a revised edition of Expression.

Suggests bees visit same species because they know how far to insert proboscis and thus save time.

Sends proofs of Variation [2d ed.] for FD to look over.

Comments on review [of Insectivorous plants] in New York Independent.

Working on Cross and self-fertilisation.

R. L. Tait has requested CD send his [Tait’s] paper on Nepenthes to Royal Society. CD considers this a nuisance.

Certificate for G. J. Romanes.

Francis’ experiments on mechanism of twisted seeds.

Comments on difficulty of distinguishing between lower animal and vegetable organisms.

Pleased by W. Stanley Jevons’ letter.

Has ordered Dr Cohn’s book.

Is sure that GHD’s energy will lead to success with work on viscous fluids.

Has decided to send R. L. Tait’s paper to the Royal Society.

Will try glycerine on Mimosa but doubts it will have an effect.

Thanks FMM for his essay [see 10194]. Though some of FMM’s remarks are "stinging", they have all been made "gracefully".

Describes observations by his son Horace on the extreme sensitivity of twisted seeds to moisture.

Asks JT to send the tubes [of boiled infusions]. Frank Darwin will do his best. Asks for full instructions.

Asks that a copy of GHD’s paper on cousin marriage be sent to Hermann Müller. J. F. McLennan admires it "as a model".

On HM’s Befruchtung der Blumen [1873].

CD would feel bound to give evidence to the Royal Commission on vivisection should they ask him, but he has no personal experience of the matter. Expresses his opinions on the importance to physiology of experiments on live animals.

CD sends a draft bill which he helped to prepare relating to experiments on live animals; the Commissioners may wish to see it.

Thanks for a ‘very remarkable & trustworthy case of reason in the dog’.

Because CD has been unwell, he has not read RLT’s paper carefully, but it seems an important contribution to science. Hopes RLT’s chemical observations will be confirmed. It seems a great anomaly that two substances with an acid should be requisite for digestion.

Comments on R. L. Tait’s claimed isolation of digestive ferments from Nepenthes.

Comments on AW’s essay [on "Axolotl", Z. Wiss. Zool. 25 (suppl.) (1875): 297–342] with respect to evolutionary reversion. Peloric flowers must also be considered reversion.

CD is furious at the prospect of Lankester’s being black-balled by the Linnean Society. He plans to solicit support from various members and to come up with Frank for the voting.