Thanks GB for proposing him for Copley Medal; suspects he is responsible for the praise in Sabine’s "splendid eulogy" on his work. Has, however, written to Sabine to say he would have liked a little more said about the Origin.

Family news. Describes [final] illness of Susan Darwin [d. 3 Oct 1866]. CD’s health better.

Making rapid progress on Variation.

Has heard of hybrids between moths mentioned by WDF.

Work on [4th] edition of Origin has delayed Variation.

Sends a sentence, quoting JP, on inherited peculiarities in eye-brows. Asks whether he may use it in his chapter on inheritance [Variation, ch. 12].

Is obliged for the facts about the hybrids [see 5910], which permit him to reject the view of B. D. Walsh (and H. W. Bates?) that organs play an important part in keeping incipient species distinct.

He has asked John Murray to send RM a copy of Variation.

Thanks for copies of FVH’s "Preliminary field report [of the U. S. Geological Survey] of Colorado and New Mexico" [Am. J. Sci. 49 (1870): 258–63] and Geological report [of the exploration] of the Yellowstone [and Missouri] River[s under the direction of Captain W. F. Reynolds (1869)].

Will collect the "precious animal" [deerhound puppy] from King’s Cross.

Thanks GC for information on the perch.

CD plans to use notes provided by GB. [See Origin, 6th ed., p. 193.]

"Please accept my thanks for your kind present of your two Papers."

Asks about Fuegian specimens stored at the Geological Society. CD needs them soon.

Thanks WALM for having sent interesting publications, especially the one on relation of structure of man to lower animals,

and just a few days since, on protuberances on bird skulls. WALM’s facts on the latter subject have an important bearing on the acquisition of sexual characters. CD is pleased that the influence of sexual selection is admitted.

JP’s note [8739] suggests reversion, but that is an easy trap. Will look to the ears of "our brethren at the Zool. Gardens".

Comments on potato disease and its effects on the poor.

Describes visit to his Lincolnshire farm,

to York where he discussed hybrids with the Dean of Manchester [William Herbert],

his meeting with Charles Waterton, and his delight with Chatsworth.

Disappointed at Hooker’s failure to receive the Edinburgh chair; believes JDH will make a great botanist.

Thanks for his suggestion about drawings for future edition [of Coral reefs].

Thanks RM for "Dynamics of earthquakes" [Trans. R. Irish Acad. 21 (1848): 50–106]. It has cleared up his ideas on undulations. Now wishes he had said nothing about them in Journal of researches. Sends his paper ["Certain volcanic phenomena in S. America", Collected papers 1: 53–86]. Wishes RM would investigate Chile. Speculates whether earthquakes coincide with moon or tides.

Encloses a letter to be prefixed to JJM’s translation of the Origin.

Expresses his satisfaction that JJM has undertaken the translation [of a fourth French edition] of Origin. Urges the use of the sixth English edition so as to include corrections and additions.

His interest in influencing the eminent men of science in France.

Thanks for observations on worm-castings and for JLGK’s amusing letter.

Wants to know whether species of Eucalyptus are dichogamous. [The P.S. on Eucalyptus may be part of another letter to another correspondent.]

On the delay in receiving CD’s new book [Variation] and his delight in a borrowed copy.

Encloses a Prospectus on his new periodical "American Entomologist" devoted to economic entomology.

Comments on the talents of his young partner, C. V. Riley.

Requests photographs for Riley of CD and Westwood.

Dr J. L. Le Conte has not yet received the request that he furnish CD with information about the stridulatory organs of Coleoptera.