Sends photographs received from Mr Van der Weyde who is working with associates in Montevideo collecting fossil bones. Asks WHF’s opinion of a specimen about which they are curious.

CD intends urging them to search the Tertiary bed beneath the Pampean formation.

Thanks for RS’s work [Die Darwin’schen Theorien und ihre Stellung zur Philosophie, Religion und Moral (1876)].

FD’s corrections for Orchids [1877] are all very good and useful.

Invites him to visit Down.

Sends first sheets of Cross and self fertilisation. The book is a very dull record of experiments, but nevertheless CD believes it is valuable for its remarkable and well-established results.

Orchids [2d ed.] will soon go to the printer.

Sends last chapter of Orchids [1877] for revision.

Has some articles that might interest FD.

Has invited Ferdinand Cohn and his wife to Down but hopes they will not come.

Sends [unidentified] volume for FD.

Ferdinand Cohn is coming to Down.

Mr Laslett, a builder, will meet WCM on Tuesday.

Discusses the purchase of some land;

plans to visit Southampton.

Thanks JVdW for photographs of fossils; [W. H.] Flower has identified them as Toxodon and Mylodon.

Sends suggestions for collecting fossil mammals in Argentina and Uruguay.

Convinced Cross and self fertilisation is of permanent value, though an extremely dry, special subject. Thinks it will sell for many years and suggests a printing of 1500 copies. Asks that a good indexer be found and put to work. Appleton has agreed to publish it

and Orchids, [2d ed.], if Murray’s will supply stereotype plates.

Discusses page length [of Cross and self-fertilisation]. Doubts 1500 copies will be sold until lapse of some years.