Plans to write an account of his trip to Morocco and, with John Ball, the botanical geography, for Linnean Society.

Results mainly negative; the Atlas exhibits "the dying out of European flora".

Only two or three beetles above 8000ft.

Disappointed that Canary Island species are absent from Atlas mountains; but an ocean current along Moroccan coast should help migration of Spanish, Portuguese, and Moroccan seeds to Canaries and Madeira.

Describes Lyell’s poor physical condition. Asks CD for his observations of symptoms.

Describes plans for travel in Morocco with George Maw and John Ball.

Has not yet read Descent.

Answers CD’s questions.

Reception of Descent. Evolution accepted everywhere; descent of man accepted calmly.

Morocco plans.

Fears for Huxley, who is overworked.

He did observe that Ophrys apifera fertilised itself as CD described and O. lutea as well.

Moroccans are too civilised, taciturn, and unfriendly to make anything of them for expressions of emotions.

Moraines and negative results on Atlas alpine flora are the only points of the journey worth much.

Has given CD’s name to a species of Abutilon found by Fritz Müller.

Pleased at Henrietta [Darwin]’s engagement.

Identifies Henslow’s mouse that used tail as prehensile climbing organ as Mus messorius.

Has not seen the Quarterly Review.

Inquires after Lyell’s health.

Lengthy discussion of William Thomson’s address [BAAS, Edinburgh 1871].

Differences in violet and honeysuckle cases.

Huxley basted Thomson awfully in Section D [of BAAS].

On Huxley’s article for Contemporary Review [see 7977] confuting Mivart. It has cheered him,

for he is very low about his mother’s state.

Is also in detestable position with "my lord and master", A. S. Ayrton. JDH has denounced him to the [First] Lord of the Treasury [W. E. Gladstone] for his conduct.

JDH’s servant carries his letter to Henry Holland about problems with Ayrton. Suggests servant take CD’s letter to Holland to town and post them at same time. Holland is said to be very intimate friend of Gladstone.

JDH has no intention of resigning. Thinks W. E. Gladstone would rather see Ayrton turned out than himself. Gladstone knows JDH has friends who would be troublesome. Only moral and political cowardice of Cabinet keeps Ayrton in office.

Lyell is much altered since autumn.

Has CD read Charles Martins’ paper on the glacial origin of the tourbières of the Jura [Arch. Sci. Phys. & Nat. 42 (1871): 286–308]?

John Scott has an admirable series on horticulture in Bengal ["Notes on horticulture in Bengal", J. Agric. & Hortic. Soc. India 2 (1871) pt 1: 241–96; 3 (1872) pt 1: 1–82].

Henry Holland is taking an active part in helping JDH in the Ayrton affair.

Cannot come to lunch to meet Sir Henry Holland. Holland may have seen Robert Lowe [Lord Sherbrooke] already. Will CD let him know his views?

Philosophical Club dinner.

Lyell contradicts W. B. Carpenter on current in Straits of Gibraltar.

James Orton’s report on fossil shells found by L. Agassiz 2000 miles up the Amazon. Their identification disposes of the glacial hypothesis.

No news yet from Gladstone on Ayrton affair.

Details of the JDH–Ayrton–Gladstone imbroglio.

Finished the last proofs of Descent a few days ago. "I shall be well abused."

St George Mivart’s Genesis [of species]: very good, unfortunately theological. Will tell heavily against natural selection but not against evolution, and this is "infinitely more important".

Returns pamphlets.

B. T. Lowne’s observation [Mon. Microsc. J. 4 (1870): 326–30] that boiling does not kill certain moulds is curious, but then how account for absence of all living things in Pasteur’s experiment?

Always delighted to see a word in favour of Pangenesis.

Thiselton-Dyer’s paper ["On spontaneous generation and evolution", Q. J. Microsc. Sci. 10 (1870): 333–54] is Spencerian.

The chemical conditions for first production of life are said to exist at present, but in some warm little pond today such matter would be absorbed or devoured, which would not have been the case before living creatures were formed.

Asks name of an Abutilon from Fritz Müller.

Questions about Drosophyllum for experiments;

the meaning of "Sirdar".

Wonderful success of Descent. Astonished by liberality of public. No abuse yet.

Marvels at JDH’s plans for a trip to Morocco. Asks him to look for alpine insects.

Sends Hibiscus

and enclosure [Queries about expression?] on chance of "any point being observed" in Morocco.

Murray informs him edition of Descent will probably be 6500 copies.

Delighted to hear from Lyell of JDH’s return from successful ascent of the Atlas Mts.

Fears JDH found no Madeira or Canary types, but CD is pleased at his moraine discovery.

Thinks Lyell’s health is serious.