Thanks AWB for review in Nature [probably review of Insectivorous plants, 12 (1875): 206–9, 228–31].

CD returns MS of a paper by RLT. "If you have succeeded in separating the ferment, the fact is manifestly important." Asks whether RLT tested the digestive ability of fluid from pitchers without animal matter. This would be necessary to prove that there was ferment in the fluid. CD is glad to hear about the [passage?] for guiding insects; he had guessed this to be the case.

Acknowledges his election to the Akademie.

Glad to hear that ARW is so busy.

CD believes that he has thrown some light on the acquirement of the power of digestion in Droseraceae [in Insectivorous plants].

Solicits JDH and others at Kew for signatures to nomination of Francis Darwin for membership of Linnean Society.

Many thanks for JDH’s beautiful cirripede drawing. Questions on JDH’s observations.

Shares Hooker’s feelings about Douglas Galton and Lord Henry Lennox.

Bored with preparing new editions.

Suggests GHD write a supplement to his review [of A. H. Huth’s The marriage of near kin (1875)]. Feels sorry Huth was taken in by the Legrain fraud. [See Autobiography (1958), pp. 143–4.]

Responds to FJC’s criticism regarding "aggregation" as it occurs in protoplasm [see 10131].

Has read RF’s pamphlet on New Zealand [Remarks on New Zealand (1846)]. Sympathises with his difficulties as Governor.

Will be in London tomorrow and will try to pop over to Kew.

Further discussion of the process of aggregation in response to [10137].

Sends comments and suggestions for Huth’s experiment on crossbreeding rabbits.

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.

Observations on barnacles.

Would like to meet JDH in London.

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.