Two letters for WED at E. A. Darwin's. G. H. Darwin has been to dentist. Please collect and pay for GHD’s skates.

CD’s opinion of minor critics and commentators on Origin.

H. C. Watson’s notion of genera converging is dismissed.

Writes of Henrietta’s illness.

Physiological changes in Shetland ponies and seagulls resulting from change in diet.

Reports on the discovery of eyeless beetles in cellar [i.e., not caves]. How did they get there, and whence?

Identifies two dipterous species of parasites [chalcidites].

Was not able to attend to the aphids last year, but will make use of CD’s suggestions and "study as much as I can the inquiry as to species".

Changes in admission to Athenaeum.

Slowly working at his volume on Variation.

Experiments on insectivorous and "sensitive" plants.

Discusses the colouring of the young of various breeds of rabbit.

Observations on results of various poultry crosses and on a character which is linked to sex.

Henrietta’s continuing poor health. JDH’s suggestion to rub her with cod-liver oil.

Asa Gray’s pamphlet.

Ill health.

Sends correspondence between Dr Erasmus Darwin and Josiah Wedgwood I [of Etruria] on glaciers.

Also a pamphlet [Asa Gray, Natural selection not inconsistent with natural theology (1861)] containing "the best account" of the Origin.

Comments on JL’s Seasons with sea-horses [1861]. Thinks JL bold to defend his bear–whale illustration.

Praise for DO’s paper on Hamamelidaceae ["On Sycopis", Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 23 (1862): 83–9, read 15 Mar 1860]. Everything points to its being a "bankrupt" family.

Hydropathy at Malvern may take him from Drosera. Requests Dionaea and Cypripedium.

CD expresses his gratification that a geologist of AG’s standing and influence subscribes to the idea of the mutability of species.

A bee’s sting always remains behind.

Will be pleased to review Asa Gray’s pamphlet [see 3068].

Is not surprised that blind cave insects are sometimes found in other dark places.

Invitation to Down for weekend with Huxley and W. B. Carpenter.

Asks for a testimonial for Edward Newman.

Discusses the Origin, considers natural selection works well when applied to the evolution of nations and groups of men; on the other hand feels the classification of mineral elements is a damaging analogy as it parallels organic classification but could not be derived by any evolutionary means.

Sends his paper ["Insect fauna of the Amazon valley", Trans. R. Entomol. Soc. Lond. 2d ser. 5 (1861): 223–8, 335–61].

Points out three areas of interest arising from the study of the species of Papilio: the derivation of the fauna, the variability of the species, and the permanence of local varieties.

Discusses J. S. Baly’s views on specific differences in reproductive organs [Catalogue of the Hispidae in the collection of the British Museum (1858)].

Lieut. F. W. Hutton’s original review [Geologist 4 (1861): 132–6, 183–8] understands that mutability cannot be directly proved.

CD met Bentham at Linnean Society and asked him to write up his views on mutability.

Opinion of Owen.

Conversation with Lyell on antiquity of man.

Henslow is dying.