Emperor of Brazil continues to press JDH for a meeting with CD.

JDH’s daughter, Harriet, marries W. T. Thiselton-Dyer.

Having just read Climbing plants, wishes CD to have enclosed pamphlets, one on cucumbers from 20 years ago, and another on movement in vegetables, also very old.

Reports an annual bean plant that formed a tuber and is now growing in the second year.

Criticises Herbert Spencer’s Principles of sociology, particularly for its treatment of the family, for its superficiality, and for its dependence on J. F. McLennan’s views on exogamy. Americans are coming to see Spencer’s ideas as too broad.

Has heard through Asa Gray of CD’s interest in his work on Lithospermum and Oxalis. Thinks dimorphism in Oxalis is but early stage toward complete separation of sexes.

Explains the delay in publishing [Forms of flowers].

He is delivering address at the British Medical Association’s Manchester meeting ["Address in medicine", Br. Med. J. (1877) pt 2: 168–73]. Will develop theme that parasites are variations of common types, e.g., Bacillus anthracis is a variant of B. subtilis. Asks for more examples.

Wants CD’s advice on who would undertake describing the Crustacea from the Challenger expedition [1872–6].