Has rarely read anything more interesting than WO’s introduction to his Aristotle translation. Had no notion what a wonderful man Aristotle was. Linnaeus and Cuvier were mere schoolboys compared to him. His ignorance on some points, as on muscles and the means of movement, is curious.

Slab with fossil annelid tracks safely arrived.

Describes his collections and research on Brazilian insects, especially Orthoptera. Comments on insect phylogeny.

Thanks CD for note on his book on the sense of beauty [A primer of art (1882)].

Views of Huxley and Spencer on consciousness.

Has sent last week’s Nature wth J. S. Newberry’s paper ["Hypothetical high tides", Nature 25 (1882): 357–8]. CD thinks Newberry is right. This week’s issue has a letter against Newberry by Charles Callaway ["Letters to the editor: hypothetical high tides", Nature 25 (1882): 385].

The Archbishop of Canterbury has launched a series by scientists in the Contemporary Review on what is known and what is theoretical in science. [The series appears to have begun with an article by Robert S. Ball, "The boundaries of astronomy", 41 (1882): 923–41]. CD was asked to participate, but refused.

Has identified the shell, now separated from the beetle. Sends both to CD.

F. M. Balfour getting on better in hospital.

Asks for CD’s opinion on certain theistic ideas. If spontaneous generation from inorganic material is denied, then life must be derived from some eternal being.

Thanks CD for helping to get him elected to the Athenaeum.

Encloses MS on sexual selection acting on street dogs of Beirut [MS of "On the modification of a race of Syrian street dogs", Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 25 (1882): 367–70, published with a prefatory notice by CD.

Comments on James Geikie’s ["Intercrossing of erratics", Scottish Naturalist 6 (1882): 193–200, 241–54]. Believes JG underrates importance of floating ice in explaining drift deposits.

Comments on origin of life and natural theology.

Recommends William Graham’s The creed of science [1881].

Gives information about the Great Western Railway dividend.

Letter of introduction for Romilly Allen.

Thanks for Earthworms.

Sends further details about the beetle and mussel sent to CD.

The French government plan to set up an international laboratory at Villefranche; JB wonders whether CD would express support for the scheme.

Strongly supports the proposed biological laboratory at Villefranche.

J. Decaisne has died.

Sends a few rare seeds of Trifolium resupinatum.

Has found a frog with bivalve attached to hind leg.

Sends an account of a combat between a frog and a worm.