Island life continues to stimulate: Wallace ignores effects of glaciers on alpine flora and generally exaggerates those of débâcles and wind dispersal. CD encourages JDH to prepare a geographical address including history of geographical distribution.

CD complains of discomfort, but has not the strength for a project that would let him forget it.

Cheered by JDH’s friendly words.

Wishes he could help JDH with geographical distribution, but the subject has gone out of his mind.

Responds to JDH’s outline history of plant geography.

Considers Humboldt the "greatest scientific traveller who ever lived".

Discusses the origin and rapid radiation of angiosperms in Cretaceous period.

Comments on importance of work of Alphonse de Candolle, Saporta, Axel Blytt.

Responds to JDH on history of plant geography.

Opinion of Humboldt.

Origin of higher phanerogams.

Importance of the occurrence of south temperate forms in the Northern Hemisphere.

No one could have thought about evolution and not about representative species; yet no one discussed it fully until Origin, including von Baer.

Did not know of Leopold von Buch’s Description physique des îles Canaries [1836] when Origin was published.

"As far as I know no one ever discussed the meaning of the relation between representative species before I did & as I suppose Wallace did in his paper before the Linn. Soc. [1858]."

Erasmus’ death and CD’s sentiments on death.

Praises JDH’s York address.

S. B. J. Skertchly has paralleled Axel Blytt’s work in Cambridgeshire fens.

JDH too cautious on southern glacial period.

Is Kew interested in Azores plants collected by Arruda Furtado, a local inhabitant and an evolutionist?

Comte [de Paris] will have plants next summer.

Arruda Furtado will send his mountain plants from Azores.

On Himalayan stratigraphy. Believes JDH’s observations of glacial action are the first ever done east of Urals.

Barnacles and the species theory; impressed with variation.

Effect of CD’s species sketch on JDH’s view of willow systematics.

Visiting his son Horace.

Studying action of carbonate of ammonia. Finds similar looking Euphorbia root cells react differently.

Intrigued by Dischidia rafflesiana, whose pitchers manufacture manure-water that nourishes adventitious roots. Does JDH know histologist for detailed study?

Julius von Wiesner’s criticism of Movement in plants "vivisects" CD in "a most courteous but awful manner" [Das Bewegungsvermögen der Pflanzen (1881)].

Profuse thanks for plants.

Specifies which euphorbs he wants. Euphorbs’ alternate rows of ammonium carbonate reactive/non-reactive cells are worth more study.

Cannot read signature on letter sent via JDH from Lima.

CD sends cheque for £250 [see 13620].

Arrangements to dine at JDH’s club.

Discusses books returned

and invites him to Down for a few days.

Questions on variation in nature: taxa varying in one region but not another. Variation between vs within species. Rarity of variation in important organs within a species. G. R. Waterhouse’s views on variation in highly developed organs, which CD relates to variation in rudimentary organs.

Asks for cases of obligate self-fertilising plants.

[CD annotation proposes using the Steudel Nomenclator botanicus (1821–4) to determine if variable species occur in genera with many species.]

Detailed response to MS of introductory essay to [The botany of the Antarctic voyage, pt II] Flora Novae-Zelandiae [1853–5]. CD will curse JDH when, in a year or two, he is at his species book, for "having put so many hostile facts so confoundedly well".

Further response to MS of introductory essay to Flora Novae-Zelandiae.

Disbelieving in permanence of species has made little difference to CD in his barnacle work.

Returning JDH’s MS and books.

Reading Mrs Gaskell’s Ruth [1853].