Writes as a trustee of the Down Friendly Society. Hopes the Society will soon be permitted to distribute its surplus funds, as there is agitation to dissolve the club and divide its assets.

Thinks it would be a serious mistake for TB to give up his profession. How the Royal Society will distribute funds is as yet very uncertain, and CD feels that TB may well receive no support as his proposal is too theoretical.

Pleased that a Grace has been submitted to confer on CD an honorary LL.D.; hopes his health will permit him to attend the ceremony.

Thanks RLT for his work, Diseases of women.

CD is also interested by RLT’s letter reporting a cat rearing chickens. "What a wonderful instinct is the maternal one."

Pleased the Senate has passed Grace conferring his LL.D.

[Draft of letter for Francis Darwin to write to SF.] CD declines to express an opinion on SF’s query.

Gives his opinion on the education of girls in physiology. Would regret that any girl who wished to learn physiology should be checked.

Asks specific questions on looking after plants of Dionaea. [The correspondent’s replies to the questions are written beneath them.]

Asks FD to mollify Daniel Oliver and assure him that CD asks "only for what I wd. give my life’s blood for".

Asks WED to make some observations on Acacia or Robinia.

Thanks AN for telling him of the complex cross among wagtails. CD is surprised that so much close interbreeding does not check their propagation.

CD does not suppose he will ever have strength to work up his data on hybridism, so he will not write to Mr Monk.

GMT’s observations [on scarcity of holly berries] throw doubt on CD’s conclusions [see Collected papers 2: 189–90].

Comments on AW’s book [Studien zur Descendenz-Theorie (1875–6)], especially on mimicry in caterpillars.

Mentions sets of drawings of British Lepidoptera in all stages. Would AW like to see them?

CD asks if he may call next day for talk.

Has not seen Delboeuf’s article [see 10786] and would be obliged for a copy. He is not likely to have any comments as he is engaged in other work.

Thanks for essays ["Das Aufschiessen der Runkelrüben", Landwirtsch. Jahrb. Berlin 5 (1876): 31–45; "Die Züchtung neuer Getreide Varietäten", ibid 6 (1877): 193–233]. Surprised about Beta vulgaris.

CD has only a trifling point to make in criticism [of RLT’s excerpt from Diseases of women]: he believes "the high value of well-bred males is due to their transmitting their good qualities to a far greater number of offspring than can the female".

CD notes growth of Royal Society may force it to hire officers.

Speculates on cold resistance of bacterial germs.

Will communicate to Royal Society Frank’s paper on the ingestion of solid particles by the protoplasmic protrusions of Dipsacus glands.

CD working on plant dimorphism.

CD thinks A. Günther’s tortoises are relics of closely allied forms, once widely distributed. Expressed this view to AG a few months ago. Cannot explain their restriction to volcanic islands.

Encloses £25 contribution.