J. S. Henslow’s defence of CD;

[Thomas?] Thomson’s opposition to Origin.

Instructs JDH on how to pollinate Leschenaultia.

Evidence of Leschenaultia and the dioecious condition of cowslips and Auricula is making necessity of insect pollination "clear and clearer".

Lyell, de facto, first to stress importance of geological changes for geographical distribution.

Asa Gray has given CD too much credit for theories of geographical distribution.

Reaction to hostile criticism

and debt to Lyell, Huxley, JDH, and W. B. Carpenter.

Gives references to experiments on cowslip for W. H. Harvey.

Suggests possible sources of error in results. Feels evidence is overwhelming that cowslip and primrose are varieties.

Has received laudatory verses on the Origin from some botanist; suspects Francis Boott.

Darwin references a "capital" letter he has received from ARW following ARW's reading of On the Origin of Species.

Floral anatomy.

Wallace’s capital response on reading Origin.

E. W. Binney has published on coal-plants living in marine waters ["On the origin of coal", Mem. Lit. & Philos. Soc. Manchester 2d ser. 8 (1848): 148–94], an old CD idea.

Waste of pollen in horse chestnut will make a good case against perfection.

Convinced selection is the efficient cause. Less convinced of physical causes than JDH because he sees adaptation everywhere and that must be due to selection.

Harvey’s letter to JDH more accepting of natural selection than CD expected.

Battle over Origin is raging in the United States.

Weary of hostile reviews.

Doubts about going to Oxford [for BAAS meeting].

CD’s response to criticism of natural selection. Exasperated at not being understood. He tries to narrow the gap between himself and JDH.

Floral anatomy of Goodeniaceae: although flowers seem to fertilise themselves by pistil moving to anther, CD shows that insect agency is necessary. Wants JDH to check his interpretation of stigmatic surface.

Glad to hear good news of Etty [Henrietta Darwin].

CD’s observations on Scaevola are capital. The indusium collects the pollen and is the homologue of the pollen-collecting hairs of Campanula. A boat-shaped organ forms a second indusium, the inside base of which forms the stigmatic surface. The latter later protrudes as horns, forming the stigma.

Describes W. H. Harvey’s scientific career and thinks his letter interesting. Agrees with Harvey that the primary agency of natural selection is as great a mystery as ever. [Response to 2823.]

Progress of [Thomas?] Thomson and G. H. K. Thwaites on accepting mutability.

Bee orchid pollination.

JDH has written to CD on homologies of stigma in Goodeniaceae.

Has reread JDH’s paper ["On the functions of the rostellum of Listera ovata", Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 144 (1854): 259–64].

CD writes of his admiration for pollination contrivances in Gymnadenia. Ask George Bentham whether this plant should be removed from genus Orchis.

Going for hydropathy. Too ill for Oxford BAAS meeting.

Pollination by minute insects.

CD proves his view regarding Goodenia stigmatic surfaces by dissection and following pollen-tubes up to grains.

JDH informs Asa Gray that he thinks Picrasma japonica is the same as P. ailanthoides. He is not convinced that Gray's Amaroria is a valid genus, it is close to Soulamea. JDH has seen Monroe. Asks Gray not to send things via bookseller as it is expensive, Trupena's charges are especially high. Mentions Gray's description of Holacantha, & correct use of the term hypogynous. Work on the Arctic flora has led JDH to consider the correct classification of North temperate flora, for example Alsineae; many of which could be referred to Stellarias, Holostea or Gramineae. Speculates that Greenland flora is unique & limited due to glacial factors. JDH can find no specimen of Dupontia cooleyi [at the RBG Kew herbarium]. He asks how Narthecium americanum differs from N. ossifragum. JDH has a newborn son [Brian Harvey Hodgson Hooker]. [George] Bentham is continuing the Hong Kong colonial flora, FLORA HONKONGENSIS, with support from the Treasury. JDH gives his opinion on [Richard] Owen's review of [Charles] Darwin's theory of evolution [ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES BY MEANS OF NATURAL SELECTION]. Mentions reviews of his own essay [on plant distribution in the FLORA ANTARCTICA, supporting Darwin's theory]. Gray owes JDH for Horsfield's plants. JDH bought Booth's Bhutan plants at the [Thomas] Nuttall [estate] sale. [Letter incomplete, it bears no valediction or signature but is written in the hand of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker].

JDH reports on the debate on the Origin at Oxford [BAAS] meeting.

CD, ill and despondent about hostile reviews, is cheered by JDH’s account of Oxford battle, particularly by willingness of JDH and Huxley to fight for CD’s theory in public.

No summary available.

Reread JDH’s letter "with infinite pleasure".

Plans to visit Kew.