Dining arrangements.

Thanks JS for the very large Acropera capsule. CD has perhaps made a blunder about the sex of Acropera.

JS was right that successive homomorphic generations of Primula breed true.

Plants, safely arrived from Kew, fill new greenhouse.

Glad RF approves of book [Origin].

Impossible in many cases to conjecture how structures acquired.

Comments on degeneration of civilised man.

Owen’s cutting critique of Lyell’s book [Antiquity of man] in Athenæum [21 Feb 1863, pp. 262–3]. JDH despises Owen’s mind too much to hate his individuality.

Will observe fertilisation of melastomads as CD requests.

Observations on fertilisation by ants.

Detailed observations on sexes in Catasetum, which were made before he received Orchids and which differ from CD’s findings.

CD’s opinion of Lyell’s Antiquity of man and of Owen’s comment on it.

Disappointed Lyell has not spoken out on species and on man.

Pleasure of new hothouse and the plants JDH supplied for it.

Pleads guilty to both criticisms of "Miss Henrietta Minor Rhadamanthus Darwin" [see 3896] of points in his Lectures [to working men].

Criticism of Antiquity of man; its public reception.

Discusses the deposition of coal and considers the possibility of coal aggregating into seams after deposition.

Identifies flies sent to him by CD. [CD note states that these were found with orchid pollinia adhering to them.]

A diploma. CD is elected a corresponding member.

Answers CD’s query on Primula longiflora and P. scotica.

Would like abstract of CD’s paper ["Two forms of Linum", Collected papers 2: 93–105] for Natural History Review.

Regrets he did not make the statement [unspecified] referred to by CD.

Believes the Origin has been very valuable, even among those not disposed to agree with transmutation, in giving a great check to "species manufacture".

Will come to dine on Monday unless he hears to the contrary.

John Lubbock’s lecture on man a success [Not. Proc. R. Inst. G. B. 4 (1863): 29–40].

JDH on the effect of the Civil War on Asa Gray.

JDH’s opinion of Lyell on glaciers is improving.

JS criticises natural selection as based on an innate "continuously watchful selective principle".

Seeks seed of wild Rocky Mountain maize.

What is CD’s view on origin of maize?

Seeks information on self-sterility of Passiflora and Lobelia.

Weeping habit of trees.

Intended to say bisexual plants presented more established varieties than unisexual, not that they are more variable.

Explains his opinion that homomorphically fertilised Primula will produce only their own form. Is trying homomorphic crosses with different coloured Primula varieties.

Asks to read Asa Gray’s 2d review of Orchids.

Has finally successfully fertilised Gongora, but it was done by unnatural means.

Ill health.

At work on Variation.

Reading JDH on Welwitschia.

Letter from Lyell defends his position on species.

Anger at Owen.

John Lubbock’s lectures.

Sends copy of his December letter [see 3851], which he fears is lost.

Has been in the Southern Alps and has discovered a wonderful pass.

At CD’s request HBD has traced the quotation; it is on regeneration from Charles White in W. B. Carpenter’s Comparative physiology (1854), p. 480.

Is gratified that CD thinks some of the arguments in his book [Lectures on the germs of disease (1861)] are satisfactory.