Urges WB to give his vote "and exert any influence which you properly can" in favour of CD’s nephew, Henry Parker, a fellow of Oriel, at the next balloting at the Athenaeum.

Requests EF’s vote and support in favour of Henry Parker for membership in the Athenaeum.

Seeks correspondent’s support for his nephew, Henry Parker, for membership in the Athenaeum.

Asks AN to vote for CD’s nephew, Henry Parker, at the Athenaeum.

Asks JT to support his nephew, Henry Parker, for election to the Athenaeum.

Seeks support for election of his nephew, Henry Parker, to the Athenaeum.

Criticises paper by Ziegler [see 9339].

Acid experiments on seeds have failed.

Sends photograph.

Comments on Mme P’s bulldogs.

Thanks correspondent for offer of [unidentified] rare book but does not accept it.

Cannot answer AN’s questions about Origin; it would take weeks to find the references. Assures AN he stated nothing without an authority he thought good.

Feels sure missel thrushes have increased in number since his youth. Starlings have also increased astonishingly in Kent. "How inexplicable most of these cases are".

In a P.S. remembers his source for statement about increase of missel thrushes in Origin.

Can give no definite information. Believes severe winters are by far the most important check on numbers of birds; the destruction of eggs is of subordinate importance.

Testifies to the trustworthiness of Charles Pearson.

Thanks AJWW for his frank and generous criticism. [See 9352.] Having viewed all natural objects under the light of natural selection for more than thirty years, CD thinks it unlikely that any arguments short of demonstration can convince him of error.

Would be glad to hear of a collected edition of his works [in Germany], but has no opinion on how it would sell. Has been surprised to learn that in England some think uniform collected works sell best. Tells JVC his publication plans and other details to guide him on extent of a "collected works".

Descent corrections have been laborious and troublesome.

Sends his MS on Dionaea and hopes it may be useful for JSBS’s lecture ["On the mechanism of the leaf of Dionaea muscipula", Not. Proc. R. Inst. G. B. 7 (1874): 332–5].

Proof-correcting [of 2d ed. of Coral reefs?].

Comments on JS’s lecture on evolution ["Address on evolution", Aberdeen Daily Free Press 24 Feb 1874].

Thanks for information about Hedychium. Hopes wings of Sphinx will be found covered with pollen for that will be a fine bit of prophecy from the structure of a flower to special and new means of fertilisation.

Has been at Descent so hard he has done nothing, not even H. Spencer’s answer.

Has not yet read Croll ["Ocean currents", London Edinburgh & Dublin Philos. Mag. 47 (1874): 94–122, 168–90].

Has heard nothing about Carter and Eozoon. Eozoon, he infers, is done for.

Has read Belt [The naturalist in Nicaragua (1874)]: best of all natural history travel books.

Has written to Fritz Müller about leaf-carrying ants.

Hopes to resume work on Drosera.

Etty [Henrietta Litchfield] is helping with Coral reefs [2d ed.]; will JDH lend her his copy?

Thanks her for her excellent criticisms and corrections [for 2d ed. of Coral reefs?].