Two queries on teeth: 1. Is there evidence of inherited peculiarities in milk teeth?

2. Are male incisors longer than female?

Reports two observations on crossing in dogs: the preservation of both pure types in the offspring of a pointer and a setter, and the influence of a first mating with a mongrel on the progeny of a Barbary bitch and a subsequent Barbary male.

Jessie [Wedgwood] says driving in sun made one of her eyes water.

Wishes to know the correct name for the British Museum’s specimen of an Abyssinian wolf described by Wilhelm Rueppell, Neue Wirbelthiere zu der Fauna von Abyssinien [1835–40] .

Asks DO to identify a plant grown from earth adhering to the foot of a woodcock.

Suggests investments for CD;

discusses the opening of the Blackmore Museum, Salisbury;

mentions Edward Lumb of Buenos Aires, with whom CD stayed in Argentina.

Thanks CD for his kindness and hopes one day to return it.

Finds more and more observations fall in with CD’s theory but still finds it difficult to account for the sudden leaps in the fossil record and to explain why some organisms first appear as such high forms.

Recommends a tutor for CD’s son.

Caroline says Jos [Wedgwood III] is "much pulled down".

Will be glad to see her on 4th.

Thinks Hensleigh is getting better, very slowly.

Thanks CD for his interesting papers.

Discussion of origin of domestic sheep races. Some comments on the yak and the wild ancestors of the llama and alpaca.

Sorry he cannot remember where S. Filippe [San Felipe?] is.

Doubts that bones of ox, sheep, and horse could have been deposited in guano [on coast of Chile], but they would be worth examination.

[Tipped in copy of Origin (1866) with CHM’s bookplate.]

Is sending a copy of [John] Shaw’s book, which Lady Bell says is based on Charles Bell’s papers [possibly C. Bell, A treatise on diseases of the urethra, 3d ed. with notes by John Shaw (1822)].

On Haeckel’s Generelle Morphologie; the logical argument for natural selection is still incomplete. THH jumps over the hole by an act of faith.

Expresses his support for new books being sold with the pages cut.

Describes his experiments in fertilising Oncidium flexuosum and comparison with Notylia.

Has been examining Catasetum.

Encloses seeds of two species of Gesneria and describes hairs in the seed capsule. Hairs in other plants seem to have a different function.

Starting tomorrow for a botanical excursion on the Continent.

William Clowes [printer for J. Murray] estimates that Variation will come to a first volume of 648 pages and a second volume of 624 pages – which is too much for volumes the same size as Origin. Murray proposes a larger size.

Sorry about enormous size of Variation MS, but cannot shorten it now. If JM is afraid to publish, CD will consider agreement cancelled. Suggests he ask someone with judgment to read the MS. Has written concluding chapter on man. Whether it will be included depends on size of volume.

Returns some of WBT’s skulls.

His MS is with printer, but book [Variation] will probably not be out until November.