Pleased by JDH’s success. JDH gives argument for occasional transport with perfect fairness.

W. R. Grove’s address [see 5201] good, but is disappointed that species part was so general.

Hooker’s lecture to BAAS ["Insular floras"] was capital,

but hears Wallace’s paper [Address to Anthropology Section, Rep. BAAS 36 (1866): 93–4] was best.

Pleased RS continues zealous work for natural history.

CD considers the report that N. American antelopes’ horns are intermediate between hollow and solid horns of ruminants to be one of the more curious facts he has lately heard of with respect to higher animals [C. A. Canfield, "On the habits of the prongbuck", Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. (1866): 105–11].

Asks her to see whether the flowers or leaves of Erica massoni are noted as glutinous in the Botanical Magazine.

Inquires about the pods of peony: are they brilliantly coloured and do birds eat them?

Susan Darwin still lives, but is dying.

Requests an Erica massoni to compare with Drosera.

On L. Agassiz’s "astonishing" view that Amazon Valley was filled with gigantic glacier. Asa Gray says LA is determined to cover the globe with glaciers in order to destroy "Darwinian views".

Excellent review of A. Murray [The geographical distribution of mammals] in Gardeners’ Chronicle [(1866): 902].

Frankland’s Royal Institution lecture ["On the source of muscular power" Not. Proc. R. Inst. G. B. 4 (1862–6): 661–85].

Wallace’s paper.

Did not think JDH had written Murray review [see 5217].

Does not think Gardeners’ Chronicle best for publication of "Insular floras" [Gard. Chron. (1867): 6–7, 27, 50–1, 75–6].

T. Laxton’s article, on direct action of pollen of peas on seed and pod, a grand physiological fact and "delightful" for Pangenesis.

Interview with Herbert Spencer.

Susan Darwin is dead.

Greatly interested in case of purple nuts but, after seeing TR’s specimens, dares not trust his case. Wishes he lived near TR or were strong enough to visit.

Lists some alterations which must be made to the drawings [for Variation].

Introduces Ernst Haeckel.

Lyell sent same chapters to CD, who thinks them very good but is not convinced that changes of land and water will do all he thinks.

Thanks for box of crossed peas.

Requests water-lily pods to count, weigh, and to germinate some of the seeds of the crossed and uncrossed pods.

Hopes Haeckel did not bore him.

Has examined TL’s crossed peas. Observes that in several lots crossed peas are smooth, like paternal stock, not wrinkled like maternal stock. Is this a result of mere variation, peculiar culture, or pollen of the father?

Encloses queries [missing].

Intends planting peas at once if TL approves.

Tells WED of a change in his will.

Discusses fertilisation of peas by bees. Asks for seeds.

Asks JL to look up a paper by Thomas Hincks on Polyzoa or Bryozoa [Q. J. Microsc. Sci. 2d ser. 1 (1861): 278–81].

Requests roots of two species of Mirabilis for "a curious experiment in crossing".

Has subscribed £10 to Jamaica committee to prosecute Governor Eyre.

Will visit Kew on Tuesday [27 Nov].

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.

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.

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.