Thanks BDW for new facts about Anthocaris [see 6156].

Asks BDW to observe stridulation apparatus in male and female lamellicorns.

Reports case of black retriever that always burrows in earth before giving birth and keeps pups in hole thereafter. CD’s book says this habit rare.

F. Müller’s corrections warrant stating that the English translation has "additions and corrections by the author".

Is gratified to hear his index [to Variation] is considered a good one.

Ernst Haeckel’s book [Generelle Morphologie (1868)], though speculative, strikes him as "one of the most remarkable books of our time".

W. S. Dallas asks whether Ray Society would publish translation of Haeckel’s Generelle morphologie. If THH thinks suggestion good, he might make inquiries.

Family news.

Preference of females for particular males certainly exists occasionally.

On the proportion of males to females in horses and in dogs.

Writes about difficulties in which S. J. O. Horsman, curate at Down, has involved himself and others. Horsman has said he would resign. JBI offers to give up his interests in the living at Down.

CD writes in detail about difficulties with Horsman’s financial accounts and the affairs of the parish.

Sends second lot of grass grown from locust dung pellets from Natal.

Variation in recent leonine skeletons.

Miocene fauna of Europe.

Has been looking at the school accounts. Has any interest been paid to S. J. O’H. Horsman this year? CD will keep accounts temporarily; he has not yet received from Horsman the balance in hand from last year.

Will get name of grass [see 6243] from Gen. William Munro.

Has heard from Charles Wheatstone that CD has Prussian Order of Merit. Rejoices because it is the only distinction worth a fig.

Went to Handel festival; heard Messiah.

Went to poor old N. B. Ward’s funeral.

On Pour le Mérite; JDH has made him think more highly of it.

Messiah is the one thing he would like to hear again, but thinks his soul might be too dried up now to appreciate it. Sometimes hates science for making him "a withered leaf" for everything else.

Frank [Darwin] now doing botany seriously.

Again thanks CD for trouble in arranging for translation of Für Darwin.

Sends addition answering critics of his idea of insect metamorphosis [see Möller ed. 1915–21, 1: 259].

Agrees with Charles Lyell’s suggested English title "Facts and arguments in favor of Darwin", although perhaps more accurate to call it "Darwinism tested by Carcinology" or "Carcinology as bearing on the origin of species".

Says any profit should go to CD for his trouble and expense with the translation.

Thanks for seeds of Eschscholtzia.

Gives observations on number of climbing plants, including Dilleniacea, Marantacea, Catasetum.

Coloration of linnets.

Sexual behaviour of black hen bullfinch.

CD thanks JJW for letter about the crimson breast of linnets

and the fate of a pugnacious female bullfinch.

Refers to JJW’s pointing out the number of Jenners and Weirs who have been naturalists, and cites some writings by men of those families about striking cases of birds.

Further discussion of the difficulties with S. J. O’H. Horsman [curate at Down].

JL’s Royal Institution lectures.

Shot a sandpiper in Norway, the hind toe of which was clasped by a freshwater bivalve.

Sends replies to CD’s queries about sex ratios in humming-birds.

The grass [see 6243] is Sporobolus elongatus, common in the tropics.

Visit to Oxford with X Club.

On his forthcoming address.

Thanks CD for article by G. H. Lewes ["Mr Darwin’s hypotheses, pt 1", Fortn. Rev. n.s. 3 (1868): 353–73]. Comments on article.

Describes hybridisation experiment carried out on rabbits and hares by Dr Conrad.

Encloses description of Monera

and a phylogenetic table of vertebrates.

Mentions work on Medusae.

The controversy over CD in Germany.