JS has now taken post of Curator of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta.

Wishes to vindicate himself of the charge that he pursued his experiments at Edinburgh to the detriment of his work.

Apologises for poor quality of his Verbascum paper, which was written from his notes during the passage to India [J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 36 (1865) pt 2: 145–74].

Asks CD for memorandum giving his opinion on a proposal to move the site of the Calcutta Botanic Garden. Gives details of the position, the physical character and the climate of the present site to show how desirable a move would be.

Position as Curator allows no time for experiment.

Describes plans for vast new layout of Calcutta Botanic Garden according to natural orders.

Himalayan and Scottish plants are doing well.

Hopes to experiment on temperate plants in tropics, to test CD’s views of migration during glacial periods.

Sends observations on acclimatisation of English cultivated plants.

Leersia CD sent are growing and fertile.

Sends seeds of Viola roxburghiana which produces perfect flowers in the cold season and imperfect ones in the rains, all perfectly fertile.

Leersia has not produced a single perfect flower though it grows freely.

Discusses cockatoos eating various seeds. Finds it difficult to make exact and satisfactory observations.

Appends list of Vandellia species which have perfect flowers.

Replies to CD’s query on expression of emotions.

Observations on expression and colour of beard and hair in natives of India.

Observations on expression and variation in Asian peoples: when colour of beard and hair differ, beard is always lighter. Differences in swimming strokes. Polydactylism.

Has just sent Hooker a paper on Sikkim tree-ferns [Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 30 (1875): 1–44, read 1870].

Has had fever since the end of the rains.

Describes habits of worms.

Discusses Leersia experiments.

Acting as Superintendent of Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta.

Observations on worm-castings in India.