JDH informs his father, Sir William Jackson Hooker, that he has been looking through specimens at the Leyden [Leiden] herbarium with Carl Ludwig Blume. He is impressed by the number of things from Borneo, Java, Sumatra & Japan & wishes Blume would share duplicate specimens more readily. He suggests that they might exchange specimens if more willingly if places ever actually sent them things for their museum. JDH particularly notes how impressive Korthal's Nepenthes are. Blume & Sibeold have established a garden for things from Japan & Dutch colonies. Blume has promised JDH a specimen of a Sumatran Rafflesia & his described ferns & mosses. JDH describes his impressions of Blume & his wife. Explains that the Leiden herbarium did give India & Madagascar specimens to [Joseph] Decaisne in Paris in return for him doing dissections for RUMPHIA. JDH is disappointed that Blume has published nothing since BIJDRAGEN TOT DE FLORA VAN NEDERLANDSCH INDIË. Siebold only looks after the living plants. Miguel is developing connections with Japan & may in time be able to send specimens to RBG Kew but it will be a long time before his collections match those at Leiden. JDH suggests they send Blume named Java things to try & get Japanese specimens in return. There are two moss men at the Leiden herbarium: Dr Dozy & Dr Molkenboer who send duplicate material to Paris, the latter apparently wrote to WJH but got no reply. JDH thinks Miguel is a very promising botanist & RBG Kew should buy his work on Cycadeae. Miguel is working on peppers, figs & Suriname & Java plants. Many people ask JDH about Charles Darwin because of his book [about the voyage of HMS Beagle]. They also ask after [Robert] Brown. JDH informs WJH of his plans to travel to England from Brill or Hellevoetsluis via Rotterdam. He mentions the British Flora for Edinburgh students, he is glad in Scotland he will not have to lecture in Latin as they do in Leiden. He discusses the merits of Heward's plan for a plant & book agency.