Discusses the practice of exogamy; asks if any animals have an instinctive repugnance to inbreeding.

Thanks for subscription.

Reports experiments with wheat.

Sends notes on producing varieties by pruning.

Sends CD a Cardigan Jacket, ‘one of the most delightful inventions of the age’.

Discusses the Duke of Argyll.

Will be glad to have seeds of plants and CD’s climbing plant, which he has no doubt is Siphocampylus.

Anxious about his baby [Reginald Hooker].

Has printed copies of CD’s queries [on expression] and will distribute them.

On Hottentot ideas of beauty in women; their preference for women with large posteriors. [See Descent 2: 345–6.]

Forwards some plant specimens to CD for his comments.

Thanks CD for information.

Answers CD’s queries about polygamous birds. Does not think appearance of cock makes any difference to female. Dyeing the male has no effect on female.

Working on sexual differences in collection of horned beetles and will send CD results.

Answers CD’s questions [sent on behalf of Miss Tollet of Betley Hall, Staffs.] on mimicry – how it helps prevent extinction, the modifications occurring with a change of habitat until mimicry occurred.

Also gives some cases of sexual differences.

Summarises his 12-page letter in which he responds to CD’s criticisms of his theory of ‘perfectibility’.

Baby’s situation hopeless.

E. Perceval Wright on way to Seychelles for collecting.

Finds that after 12 years among north-western Indians he can answer positively only one of CD’s queries about expression. They do blush from shame or anger.

Cites cases of difference in coloration between the sexes of some species of Crustacea, annelids, and spiders.

Discusses dimorphic plants and self-sterility.

Outlines some experiments involving the crossing of different species of orchids.

Encloses extract from Carl Claus, Die freilebenden Copepoden [1863].

Thanks for "Climbing plants" offprint and for references on fertilisation of flowers.

Considering the bounty of work already done, he is looking for something original to do.

Subularia does not grow in Westphalia.

Asks if he should give the clichés of Variation to E. Schweizerbart.

Begins to hope baby may survive; description of symptoms.

Will find out identity of Robert Trail.

JVC is willing to translate [Variation], especially because of his conviction that progress of biology depends on proving CD’s theory.

Ernst Haeckel’s book [Generelle Morphologie (1866)] will do mischief because EH is so immoderate. Suggests CD tell EH that he has done him a bad service. CD is the only one to whom EH would listen.

Reports on an experiment in crossing potato varieties.