Thanks JM for copy of Quarterly Review, with article on his worm book [Henry Wace, "Darwin on earthworms", Q. Rev. 153 (1882): 179–202].

Writer will change his mind on evolution. CD cannot think of any young worker in biology who is not convinced of the truth of evolution, though many believe that natural selection has not done much.

JS is proposing to write a detailed history of the polled Aberdeen breed of cattle [James Macdonald and James Sinclair, History of polled Aberdeen or Angus cattle (1882)] and would be grateful for any instances of hornless breeds known to CD; in particular asks his opinion on the cause of the peculiarity.

Sends a letter [missing] from a Mr Moorhouse on lapwing behaviour that makes earthworms rise to surface.

Writes of his work and a paper accepted for publication in the Philosophical Transactions [? "Stresses caused in the interior of the earth", Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 173 (1883): 187–230].

Gives news of friends.

Accepts election as a corresponding member of the American Social Science Association [see 13615].

Discusses present of microscope to Grant Allen.

Mentions sugar-cane paper [by Baron de Villa Franca].

Has sent Kovalevsky his major paper on the moon’s motion, with references to others.

Encloses letter from R. S. Ball [missing], who has placed reliance on Samuel Haughton’s wild speculations.

Has heard that J. Challis’s health is worse.

Thanks EH for gift of 2d ed. of his book of travels [Seven years in South Africa (1881)]. Expresses admiration for EH’s courage and zeal for science.

Are the animal and vegetable kingdoms so united as to be indistinguishable?

Agrees about Grant Allen affair.

Requests CD to sent a cheque for the succession duty on Erasmus Alvey Darwin’s estate.

Agrees to write a page or two on behalf of Donald MacAlister.

His thoughts on the lack of horns in domesticated cattle.

Requests visit to Down before he goes on expedition to South and Central Africa.

Reports remarkable case of inheritance of one of his habits by his infant son.

Encloses proof of CD’s prefatory notice for RM’s translation of Weismann; hopes CD might enlarge upon it.

CD’s division of his surplus income; fire engines; Sara Darwin’s relatives; GHD’s paper in Nature.

Thinks that "women though generally superior to men [in] moral qualities are inferior intellectually". Believes that men and women may have been aboriginally equal in this respect but that to regain equality women would have to "become as regular ""bread-winners"" as are men". Suspects the education of children and "the happiness of our homes" would greatly suffer in that case.

The Secretary to the First Commissioner of Her Majesty’s Works thanks CD for providing the funds for a new edition of Steudel’s Nomenclator [Index Kewensis].