Thanks for information and stories about Erasmus Darwin.

They have never had any Erasmus Darwin letters.

Sends photographs [of Elston Hall].

Announces his intention to translate and preface [E. Krause’s] sketch of Dr Erasmus Darwin’s life. Asks whether RD has any documents concerning Dr Darwin or letters by him.

CD has written to members of the family for Dr Erasmus Darwin materials and letters. Is apprehensive lest his preface and EK’s essay interfere with one another. Will confine himself to ED’s character and letters;

has begun investigating the influence he had on medical practice.

Sends a book by her uncle, Charles Darwin [1758–78], and recounts some details of the life of her grandfather, Dr Erasmus Darwin.

Sends Dr Erasmus Darwin’s commonplace book, some letters, and poems.

Family news.

Thanks for FHGH’s new book; also for the list of seeds, but he does not want any at present.

Wants to finish revision of MS on Erasmus Darwin before Dallas begins translation. Has discussed possible German edition with Carl Alberts.

Sends drawings of several of Dr Erasmus Darwin’s residences, together with suggestions of sources of other material.

Has succeeded in obtaining Assistant Keeper’s post.

Believes it would be interesting and valuable to study the variation in organs such as scent-fans and "strigillating" [stridulating?] organs among related species of Lepidoptera.

Requests information about a travel route used by their grandfather, Erasmus Darwin. Thanks FG for his help.

CD is "now trying to find out how far the Zoonomia influenced medical practice in England".

Thanks for the plants for heliotropic experiments.

Asks CD to join W. H. Flower and Huxley in signing a memorial in support of Dr Coues. He is a U.S. Army surgeon who has been working on an ornithological bibliography and needs support to complete his work in England.

The "great book" [presumably Dr Erasmus Darwin’s commonplace book, see Erasmus Darwin, p. iii] arrived safely.

Can RD supply a photograph of [Breadsall] Priory?

Has just read GA’s article in Fortnightly Review ["A problem of human evolution", 31 (1879): 778–86]. GA’s views very probable. Something wonderful to hear anyone defending sexual selection.

Will try to find an engraving of [Breadsall] Priory.

Offers a photograph of Dr Erasmus Darwin’s house in Derby.

CD agrees entirely with EK’s proposal. Has collected a good deal of material. Useless to hunt for correspondence between Dr Darwin and Samuel Johnson. They met only once and hated one another. Dr Darwin is said to have taken Henry Brooke, who published a poem entitled "Universal beauty", as a model.

"I have signed the enclosed with pleasure."

Thanks AN for his kind expression about Frank [Darwin].

Memorial in support of EC travelling to Europe to research his bibliography of ornithology.

NvM is 17 years old. Confused by reading CD’s works and Ernst Haeckel’s Natürliche Schöpfungsgeschichte [1868]. Can a believer in CD’s theory believe in God?