Recommends papers on Styrian Cave insects and American cave animals.

Thanks for information on inheritance of mental peculiarities in cats.

[Excised fragment only.] "I am greedy for facts.—"

Asks correspondent if he would prefer the President’s signature alone or with those of other scientific men.

Regrets not having a duplicate of one of his books to give away. "You will before long no doubt be able to borrow a copy."

Discusses exchange of photographs with Édouard Claparède, "for whom I feel the highest respect".

"When a man has laboured hard in science & has proved that he is capable of original research, he may [some]times indulge in speculation [&] the public will indulge him. But even in this case it is a common error to speculate too largely, for speculation is far easier than observation or experiments . . ."

Declines invitation to ride because he is "so very subject to headache".

Concerning specimens he wants collected in the Azores.

Will be glad to see recipient and Mr Morris at Down the following day.

Responds to correspondent’s request for information about shells from the Coquimbo beds in Chile. Difficulty in deciding on age of deposits and species. Notes views of Alcide d’Orbigny.

Obliged for memoir with illustrations on most interesting point [unspecified] to occur in many years.

Is "almost certain" plant is Menispermum canadense.

CD’s health remains bad and as he grows older he becomes weaker.

Gives permission to insert in his magazine anything from CD’s works.

Declines, regretfully, to contribute to or to have his name appear on a new magazine.

Sends a copy of the paper [with A. R. Wallace, "On the tendency of species to form varieties" (1858), Collected papers 2: 3–19] about which his correspondent asked; CD’s parts were written years ago and not intended for publication; he gave permission for publication of the extracts. Wallace’s paper seems to him excellent.

Thanks correspondent for a remarkable instance of inheritance [not specified].

Has read correspondent’s notice on bent cleavage. Refers him to observations on the same fact in South America, p. 160. CD has also suggested a conjectural explanation.

"As I have never especially attended to Conchology I am sorry to say I cannot tell you the name of the enclosed shell which I now return–"