Asks for an order to buy a CD photograph for Mr Tait.

Louis Pasteur’s memoir "is a very able and convincing one" ["Mémoire sur les corpuscles organisés qui existent dans l’atmosphère", Ann. Sci. Nat. (Zool.) 3d ser. 16 (1861): 5–98].

E. A. Parkes informs him there will be difficulty about the Army returns [on CD’s Query to Army surgeons, see Freeman, Works of Charles Darwin, p. 111] owing to official obstructions by Director General. [Enclosed letter from Parkes to GB says that the Director General does not think that Army surgeons could be asked to collect information systematically for CD, but perhaps some informal, voluntary arrangement could be made.]

Explains how melting of ice in Glen Spean could have successively freed two lower cols, thus establishing the water-levels that determined the two lower shelves in Glen Roy.

Plans to read a paper to the Linnean Society ["Sexual forms of Catasetum", Collected papers 2: 63–70].

Declines the honour of acting as Steward at the Annual Dinner of the Royal Literary Fund.

Has several specimens illustrating dimorphism in insects that he would be happy to leave where CD could examine them.

Discusses the ant genera Formica and Atta, and the origin of the two forms of workers commonly found in the species of these genera.

Will hope to be able to send Vanilla flowers in a day or two.

How is CD after his tremendous effect on the placid Linneans? ["Sexual forms of Catasetum", Collected papers 2: 63–70; read 3 Apr 1862.]

Cannot accept invitation at present.

Is sending a wild honeycomb from Timor.

No summary available.

Suggests CD use a tabular form for Army doctors to write their observations on, and suggests it be limited to malaria, yellow fever, and dysentery.

On Vanilla.

Asks JDH to observe whether he has both long- and short-styled form of Menyanthes

and whether he has "Saxifrages with long hairs glandular at the tip".

The Linnean Society session made him vomit all night. Fears he must give up trying to read papers or speak. "It is a horrid bore. I can do nothing like other people."

JM is a bold man to print 1500 copies [of Orchids].

Did CD lend AM a pamphlet on cave insects by S. Scudder ["On the genus Raphidophora", Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. 8 (1861–2): 6–14]? CD much wants it and remembers lending it to someone.

Now believes flowers of Fumariaceae must be self-fertilised.

Planning a piece on dimorphism in the Natural History Review ["On the two forms, or dimorphic condition, in the species of Primula … by Charles Darwin", n.s. 2 (1862): 235–43].

Observations on Campanula dimorphism.

AM did not borrow a Samuel Scudder pamphlet from CD; in fact he was not aware of its existence.

DO’s observations on polymorphism in Primula and Campanula. CD recognises three classes of dimorphism, as in Primula, Thymus, and Campanula and violets.

DO’s Campanula paper and Royal Institution lecture [Not. Proc. R. Inst. G. B. 3 (1858–62): 431–3].

CD’s interest in Fumariaceae from A. Gray’s comments on "selfing".

Bees bite holes in flowers when same species grows in high density.

Organisation of CD’s notes.

Discusses primrose ovules,

Atlantis paper [Nat. Hist. Rev. (1862): 149–70],

plant migrations;

Corydalis.

Is it convenient for him and Willy to come to Down from Thursday to Sunday?

Encourages DO to publish his paper and put his name to it. [Paper apparently not published.] Concurs with his views on primordial nature of hermaphroditism.

Invitation to visit; Hooker will be present. Gives directions to Down. Also plans to invite John Lubbock over for an evening.