Discusses insects collected by CD on St Paul’s Island and the Galapagos.

Promises answers to CD queries on dogs.

Enclosure 1: G. A. Graham responds to CD’s questions (transmitted by GC) on greyhound breeding and proportion of sexes reared.

Enclosure 2: J. W. Robertson’s general rule has been to preserve male deerhound puppies in preference to females.

Enclosure 3: Proportion of sexes in dog litters [for Descent, 2d ed.] from W. Forbes.

Sends reference to Codrington paper on gravels ["The superficial deposits of the south of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight", Q. J. Geol. Soc. Lond. 26 (1870): 3–28]. Comments on local gravels in railway cutting and the violent agency of their removal from hills.

Errata slip forInsectivorous plants

Letter enclosing decree from the Accademia dei Lincei, with signatures dated 2 and 16 July 1875.

Data on good and bad pollen-grain yields of different species. Sends sketches of two male Rhamnus catharticus flowers [see Forms of flowers, p. 294].

The Royal Society have not accepted R. L. Tait’s paper on insectivorous plants; it will be returned to CD, who submitted it.

Discusses geographic distribution of tuberculosis and possible explanations for disease-free areas and populations.

Does not think a local population with some distinct physiological character can properly be designated as a race. Thinks local conditions, not natural selection, responsible for such characters. Ernst Haeckel agrees. Asks CD’s opinion.

Observations on pollinia of Orchis maculata

and on Primula elatior. [On latter, see Forms of flowers, p. 34.]

Dimorphism and cleistogamy in Hottonia.

AG wants new, unambiguous term for what is now referred to as "dimorphism", "dioecio-dimorphism", or "heterostyly"; proposes "heterogone".

Sends an excerpt from Bulletin of Torrey Botanical Club 2 (June 1871) on Hottonia inflata.

He has examined Hoya flowers with Bentham and Oliver, but they are not satisfied about the five processes alternating with the sepals. [See Forms of flowers, pp. 331–2.] Sends specimens of plants.

Babington’s surprise at JDH’s advocacy of Darwinian views at Norwich [BAAS meeting].

Criticism of the behaviour of the trustees of the British Museum [in the Challenger affair].

Asked C. E. Bessey whether Lithospermum longiflorum was dimorphic like its relatives. Encloses CEB’s reply.

Sends "worm journal" – observations of earthworm activity at Abinger.

Messrs Clowes will make CD’s corrections and adjust index of Cross and self-fertilisation. Of this work only 1500 copies have been printed. Edition is sold out and account is enclosed.

Of 500 copies of Climbing plants [2d ed.] printed in June 1876, 450 were still unsold as of June 1877.

AG’s review of Joseph Cook ["Lectures on biology", New Englander 37: 100–13].

Encourages CD to work at heliotropism.

Thinks Thomas Meehan is as "rattle-brained" as Joseph Cook.

[A damaged fragment cut from this letter is pinned to 11051.]

Has been investigating nutational movements of climbing plants; comments on the opinions of Julius von Wiesner and Julius Sachs. Remarks on the sleep movements of certain plants and the mechanism of tendril curvature. Is experimenting with Porlieria.

Has visited K. G. Semper’s laboratory.

Notes Julius Sachs’s opinion on the heliotropism of moulds: he can see no use in the response.

C. E. Stahl is working on swarm spores which can be made both helio- and apheliotropic.

Sachs has told him that some ferns sleep, and he suspects that some grasses may move.

Sachs also feels they may be working at bloom from a wrong point of view and suggests leaves may need to keep dry in order to keep their stomata open.

Oxalis seeds incorrectly named. H. N. Moseley says pigeons in Malaya eject seeds fit for germination.

There is a hyacinth growing upside down in Hankinson’s garden. Sends picture of it. Leslie Stephen knows of no worthwhile sources of information on Dr Erasmus Darwin.

Has read Butler’s letter and CD’s draft reply and Litchfield’s letter. Has no hesitation in saying CD should take no notice. Litchfield’s advice is judicious.