At Mrs Lyell’s request, passes on a spare copy of K. M. Lyell ed. 1881.

About to go to press with "wearyful" Fossil Cirripedia [vol. 1 (1851)];

would like to borrow proof-sheets of Frederick Dixon’s work [The geology and fossils of the Tertiary and Cretaceous formations of Sussex (1850)]. Would also like to borrow a specimen of Balanus glacialis from Royal College of Surgeons. Encloses formal request [see 1356].

Asks to borrow specimen of Balanus glacialis from the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons. It will be necessary to disarticulate it, but CD will return the valves to the Museum.

Discusses position [at British Museum]. "My case is hopeless as my man [F. W. Surman] is 31 years old."

"Resolved that the Secretary be requested to ask Mr. Darwin if he would agree to the publication of his work [Living Cirripedia] in parts."

In response to CD’s letter [see 1364] the Secretary is instructed to request that he send a specimen plate to James de Carle Sowerby for estimate of cost.

In a forthcoming lecture GCW will dispute Haeckel on Protista and his statement that spontaneous generation is necessary to complete evolution as a doctrine. Wishes to confirm his understanding that CD has nowhere expressed himself on the "origin of life", and has considered only the manner of succession.

CD asks if he can call tomorrow (Friday) at 9: 30, and offers to come on Saturday if that would suit CL better.

Is coming tomorrow to see Lorenz Spengler on cirripedes [Auserlesne Schnecken, Muscheln und andre Schaalthiere (1758)] and the remaining sessile cirripedes in the collection. Has finished Balanus.

Wishes to know the correct name for the British Museum’s specimen of an Abyssinian wolf described by Wilhelm Rueppell, Neue Wirbelthiere zu der Fauna von Abyssinien [1835–40] .

Thanks AH for assistance and Joshua Alder for his kindness. Ibla specimens offered would not aid him.

Gratified by what RO says about his book [Living Cirripedia, vol. 1 (1851)]. The anatomical work is the only part he is really interested in; finds the "mere systematic part infinitely tedious"; but will be surprised if he is ever proved wrong on the males of Ibla and Scalpellum.

"A letter having been read from Mr. Darwin stating that the MSS of the 2nd vol. of his work [Living Cirripedia] extended to 900 pages it was resolved that the whole be published in one volume."

Asks for parts of The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Erebus and Terror [1844–75].

Asks about the arrangement of cirripedes at the Museum; hopes JEG will keep CD’s names.

CD expresses his inability to accept the view that the Hippuritidae are in any way a connecting link between the oysters and the barnacles.

Sends fossil cirripedes for the museum’s collection.

A page of [unspecified] text is missing from a parcel of material received from GRW.

CD "hopes and expects to live to see Carboniferous, & perhaps even Silurian, mammifers!"

Has several questions to ask whenever they meet.

Would be useless to insert CD’s name [on masthead of Entomologists’ Annual] since he does not work on insects.

Thanks HTS for Entomologist’s Weekly Intelligencer [no. 2, 12 Apr 1856]. Agrees with his remarks [in "Why did Mr Westwood get the Royal Medal?"], but explains that a change in rules for awarding the Royal Medal has been made. Earlier it had to be given for publications in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, which explains small number of entomologist recipients.

Thanks for answer to query. "I see … that there is no hope of comparing the same genus at two different periods, and seeing whether the tendency to vary is greater at one period in such genus than at another period."

Inclined to dispute SPW’s doctrine that islands are generally ancient. Doubts that they are remnants of continents.