CD gives his criticisms of GHD’s essay on religion and the moral sense. Urges him to delay publishing for some months and then to consider whether it is new and important enough to counterbalance the effects of its publication. J. S. Mill would never have influenced the age as he has done had he not refrained from expressing his religious convictions. Cites John Morley’s Life of Voltaire [1872]: direct attacks produce little effect; real good comes from slow and silent side attacks. "My advice is to pause, pause, pause."

"It is a fearfully difficult moral problem about speaking out on religion, & I have never been able to make up my mind."

An Irishman, a "grand breeder" of short-horns, declared at lunch that CD’s books had been "a great help to [him] in breeding!"

CD writes about organising a subscription for Dohrn’s Zoological Station at Naples. Has drawn up a draft circular for naturalists to sign to show their support for the Station.

Sorry to hear of GHD’s poor health – he could have pleasant society at Cambridge if he were stronger.

Contributes £75 [to a fund for Naples Zoological Station] "if the affair goes on after we hear from Dohrn".

CD is looking for editorial assistance in preparing a new edition of Descent, and inquires whether GHD might be interested in taking on such a tedious job.

Pleased that GHD will help with second edition of Descent. Cautions him not to alter strength of CD’s expression or improve the style too much.

Regrets the trouble GHD has had.

Gives his and CD’s thanks for information on consanguinity among parents of asylum inmates.

Has finished the index [for Descent, 2d ed.].

Finds statistical evidence that cousin marriages are at least three times as frequent in "our rank" as in the lower.

Sends queries [on proofs of Descent, 2d ed.]. Will be finished, except for the index, in two days.

Is now less satisfied than formerly with his statistics on cousin marriage.

[Enclosure is a copy by GHD of J. S. Mill’s statement about Origin (Logic 2: 18 n.).]

Is sorry to hear the news about the cousin question – a real misfortune.

Congratulates GHD on being nearly finished with work on Descent.

Sends Descent material. Is staggered by CD’s power of marshalling facts and his conciseness and clearness of thought. The only fault he finds is some slight want of conciseness of diction.

He feels CD’s power more now "that I quail before the thought of arranging the few paltry facts I’ve got about those d––d cousins".

GHD’s corrections seem very good. Murray hopes there will be few corrections in Descent. CD assured him no changes have been made merely for improving style.

Wants very much to hear about "the terrible cousin affair".

D. A. Spalding has asked for information to help with his experiments on sense of direction in animals. Has arrived at same results as GHD with blindfolded children. Will GHD let him have his results?

CD has forwarded proofs of Descent [2d edition]. Urges GHD not to work on them if his poor health makes them too tiring.

Thanks GHD about Spalding [i.e., for responding to Spalding’s request, see 9472].

Intends to keep working on [Descent, 2d ed.] proofs despite his illness.

Comments on GHD’s paper ["Marriages between first cousins in England and their effects", Fortn. Rev. n.s. 18 (1875): 22–41]. Hopes it will be published and read at the Statistical Society.

Advises GHD to get an eminent counsel. If counsel’s opinion is that the reviewer [Mivart, in "Primitive man", Q. Rev. 137 (1874): 40–77] has falsified GHD’s statements, GHD should send the opinion to the Quarterly Review and demand publication, and if refused publish elsewhere. Then CD must decide whether to cut John Murray [publisher of Q. Rev.] which will put CD in a nice perplexity [over his rights to the stereotyped editions of past works].

After taking advice he has decided to write an explicit denial and short account of his essay and send it to the Quarterly Review.