Pleased by favourable English newspaper reviews of Erasmus Darwin. Charles Reinwald has not yet said whether he wants to use annotations intended for German readers.

What are functions of "yeomen of the armoury" on p. 1? Who is "old Hooker" on p. 34? Needs to explain them in annotations [to Erasmus Darwin].

Thinks CD has no need to reply to Samuel Butler’s hostile article [in the Athenæum]. Offers to reply himself.

Returns [Butler’s] attack, which he forgot to send yesterday.

Birthday greetings.

Regrets Butler’s malicious attack.

Agrees not to reply to Butler.

German edition of Erasmus Darwin delayed because Murray has not sent phototypes and galvanographs.

Two of CD’s articles from Nature to appear in April Kosmos ["Sexual colours in butterflies", Collected papers 2: 220–2, Kosmos 7 (1880): 72–4;

"Fertility of hybrids from the Chinese goose", Collected papers 2: 219–20, Kosmos 7 (1880): 77–8].

Moritz Wagner will begin a series criticising natural selection.

Sends German edition of Erasmus Darwin.

[CD’s notes form part of a draft for 12586.]

No significant reviews of Erasmus Darwin have appeared yet in Germany.

Sends response from a theological opponent.

Responds to CD’s offer to pay for subscription to Kosmos.

Comments on his own honorarium for English edition of Erasmus Darwin. Success of German edition.

Has sent 2d ed. of his book, Werden und Vergehen [1880]. Notes that book was attacked in Prussian House of Deputies by ultramontane critics of Hermann Müller who had recommended it to his pupils.

Thanks CD for copy of Movement in plants. It will be reviewed in Kosmos [8 (1880–1): 258–71] by Hermann Müller.

Kosmos will probably cease publication. Publisher has decided to sell.

Fritz Müller has suffered from flood.

Müller’s latest letter contains a polemic against Wagner’s migration theory,

and some interesting observations on Crustacea.

Comments on Pangenesis. Quotes long passage from article by Fritz Müller concerning regeneration of lost members among crustaceans.

Kosmos has been sold to Eduard Koch in Stuttgart; will be converted into a weekly. Science will be de-emphasised. Krause seeking new publisher to continue on old basis.

Gustav Jäger injured in train accident.

Would like to reply to Samuel Butler’s Unconscious memory [1880] in Kosmos.

The reviews of Erasmus Darwin are mainly favourable.

Replies to EK’s queries about German translation of CD’s preface to Erasmus Darwin.

Samuel Butler’s fierce attack on CD and EK in Athenæum. CD’s sentence saying that EK had altered his Kosmos article was accidentally omitted from second proofs. Butler insinuates that EK’s attack on his book was suggested by CD or interpolated by him in EK’s text.

CD is pleased that EK will answer Butler. Thinks Butler is half insane.

CD advises EK on his proposed letter answering Butler.

Considering the favourable reviews, sale of Erasmus Darwin has been poor.

Thanks EK for kind letter.

CD’s date on epitaph is a dreadful mistake. CD often overlooks errata.