Sends comments on his diagram of Stonehenge. Will go to Beaulieu.

Sends his reply to Huxley’s criticisms [Contemp. Rev. 19 (1872): 168–97].

As a man of science, StGM has no choice but to pursue what he sees as the truth. Will happily admit he has misrepresented CD if CD will disclaim the position that StGM attacks.

Thanks WED for checking through the proofs of a new [6th] edition of Origin.

Agrees to close their correspondence. Defends his position against criticisms of Huxley and Chauncey Wright; assures CD of his continuing friendly feelings.

Sends paper on the coasts of Alaska.

Wishes to sell his large Russian palaeontological collection.

Wants to get in touch with American (Mr Dall), who is going to study geology of Alaskan and Aleutian coast.

Asks CD whether he will find a translator and publisher for a paper Dr A wrote in 1870, siding with Carl Vogt in defence of CD’s view of descent of man.

Battle for CD’s nomination to the French Academy continues.

Obliged for QdeB’s efforts [to have CD elected member of Académie Française].

With regard to stress that QdeB lays on man’s walking on two legs, no one attributes much significance to difference in mode of locomotion between seals and terrestrial Carnivora or kangaroos and other marsupials.

A friend of JJA’s wants CD’s opinion on whether the disease porigo decalvans (hair falling out in clumps) demonstrates the link between man and dogs and has continued to evolve with man after he passed out of his "hairy-animal state".

Capt. [Richard?] Burton disagrees with CD’s notion of beauty in the abstract, and would like to meet him.

Has no objection to CD’s alluding to FM’s idea that sexual selection has come into play in mimetic butterflies.

Reports observations on other butterflies and on termites.

His father has gone to Egypt.

Tells of visit to circus.

Has some birds which are allegedly the result of a cross between a common fowl and a guinea-fowl; describes their appearance, and will provide CD with likenesses.

Sends a pamphlet [not identified] in which he applies the principle of natural selection to the working of legislative institutions.

Discusses his paper on mimicry and natural selection [Land and Water 9 (1871): 321]. Believes natural selection tends to fix mimetic characters rigidly.

Louis Agassiz is going on a voyage to the Falklands, and BJS wonders whether it is worth while telling him of the Gallegos fossil bed so that he can investigate.

William [Hooker] is in first division of matriculation list of London University.

Other family news.

No news on Ayrton affair. Ayrton has taken staff appointments out of JDH’s hands.

Asks whether CD knows about Zizania aquatica – can hardly believe it is an annual.

Wants references to the work of Julius von Haast and James Hector on New Zealand glaciers, which CD mentions in the Origin [6th ed., p. 335].

Discusses the roles of natural and sexual selection in producing mimicry, and the problem of explaining the cause of the first mimetic variation; considers the ideas of A. R. Wallace and Fritz Müller on this problem.

Heartily glad about Willy.

Has never had Zizania.

Still has Leersia. He cannot make the beast produce.

What slow coaches the Ministers are about the Ayrton affair.