JDH asks Thiselton-Dyer to give his opinion on a letter JDH has drafted to the Trustees of the British Museum, concerning JDH's Antarctic collections. Daniel Oliver has already given his opinion but does not consider JDH's position regarding the Royal Society. A copy of the letter will be sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury [Archibald Tait]. JDH refers to an enclosed magnolia [not present] which Alexander MacCleay calls fuscata but which differs from the plants under that name at RBG Kew.

No summary available.

Extremely glad to have JDH come to Down. It is wise of JDH to exert himself and face the inevitable as well as he can. [Death of JDH’s wife, 13 Nov.]

Encloses a letter [from Huxley about his invitation to lecture at Edinburgh]. Has done his best to dissuade Huxley from accepting the burden.

JDH’s depression in bereavement.

No summary available.

Quite agrees with JDH on inadvisability of Huxley’s taking on the Edinburgh lectures.

Is awaiting JDH’s memorial to the Board [of Works?] on his burdensome duties.

Glad to hear JDH finds ease in his work.

Huxley feels he can accept the Edinburgh lecture invitation.

Also tells JDH he is preparing a paper for Linnean Society on classification which will uphold evolution ["On the classification of the animal kingdom", J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Zool.) 12 (1876): 199–226]. He has thrown overboard all his old ideas of definite demarcation. He will make a clean breast of it, and will bear hard on necessity of all such ideas as Haeckel’s in dealing with systematic zoology.

JDH asks for Thiselton-Dyer's opinion on an enclosed dedication [enclosure not present]. He reports that he is feeling unwell but must send off his letter to the British Museum.

Has forwarded JDH’s memorial to T. H. Farrer to take up with Sir Stafford Northcote and to ask him to consider the case of Kew personally. Has told Farrer that JDH was thinking of resigning if Government would not give him an assistant secretary.