Asks for reference to EB’s article about tame deer on island in Aral Sea.

Hildebrand’s paper on trimorphism in Oxalis ["Über den Trimorphismus in der Gattung Oxalis", Monatsber. K. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin (1866): 352–74].

Problems of explaining brightly coloured, attractive seeds.

Haeckel has visited Down.

FM’s climbing plants paper is printed [J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Bot.) 9 (1867): 344–9].

Thanks CL for copy of his "grand book" [Principles of geology, 10th ed., vol. 1 (1867)]. Congratulates him on additions.

Mentions visit to E. A. Darwin.

Encloses note for Mr Corbet.

Thanks JBEB for Papaver seeds. Has long wished to see some of the closely allied subspecies and hopes to make some crossing experiments with them.

Is tempted to cite Mr Zurhorst’s case.

Hopes to send pigeon and fowl MS [of Variation] to press in a fortnight.

Is sending some plants and seeds to JDH.

Thanks Mrs Hooker for telling him of a life of his grandfather [Erasmus Darwin] of which he had not heard.

Asks to have author’s spare copies of F. Müller’s article on climbing plants [J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Bot.) 9 (1867): 344] sent to him for forwarding to FM.

Sends his autograph.

A confounded cock ground the crimson seeds up so CD could not find them in its excrement. CD is puzzled by how seeds can be disseminated if merely ground up by birds. Perhaps like acorns from seeds accidentally dropped by birds?

A woodcock’s leg with dry clay clinging to it, from which CD has grown a microscopical rush.

Spencer would have been wonderful if he had trained himself to observe more.

On New Zealand flora and connection with Australia.

Difficulty of speculating about the amount of organic chemical change at different periods.

Gives his opinion on the ancestry of domestic ducks, geese, and guinea-fowl.

Thinks of adding chapter on man to Variation. Asks about muscles connected to os coccyx in man and existence of other rudimentary organs in man.

Sends copy of Origin.

Is unable to answer her questions about religious implications of natural selection, but would prefer to believe that suffering in world is due to natural events.

Acknowledges a subscription to the Down [Coal and Clothing] Club.

Gives information about obtaining the most recent (4th) edition of Origin.

Is glad to hear that his correspondent is interested in the subject.

Thanks for calling his attention to ancestry of guinea-fowl.

Asks for a letter on the tameness of deer, written by Commander A. Boutakoff to R. I. Murchison and printed in the Journal [J. R. Geogr. Soc. 23 (1853): 93–101].

Submits the MS of Variation, all excepting the section on Man.

First impressions of Haeckel’s Generelle morphologie.

Has received THH’s [Lessons in elementary] Physiology [1866]

and reread Man’s place.

Asks THH to read revised "Hybridism" chapter in new edition of Origin. Hopes it will change THH’s view.

Convinced of P. S. Pallas’ view of loss of sterility under domestication.

Encloses a portion of a letter from B. D. Walsh [5319] concerning an American interested in exchanging birds’ skins.