CD has complained of pins and needles keeping him from working on his book [Descent]. If he could spend ten days with HBJ, he would be well and fit.

Thanks CD for compliments on the first part of his "discours",

but the later part was critical of natural selection. Nevertheless, CD should see him not as a systematic adversary, but in the camp of Quatrefages de Bréau and Milne-Edwards.

Is glad John Lubbock made the fight he did [to amend Census Bill to enable insertion of questions on consanguineous marriages].

JM informs CD that he will have Clowes give him written assurance that the printing [of Descent] will proceed without interruption.

The [Franco-Prussian] War is a sad damper on international science and his publishing plans.

Plans to visit Down in a week.

Sends last chapter of his book in press [Systems of consanguinity and affinity of the human family vol. 17 in Smithsonian contributions to knowledge (1871)], which supports CD on man.

Ethnology must study the ages of barbarism as the formative portions of man’s physical and mental history.

Wishes to visit Down.

Is studying Variation, especially Pangenesis. Reports earlier notion of Dr Robert Lee, that resemblance between husband and wife may be partly owing to her having man’s blood circulating in her during pregnancies; thus spouses most resemble each other in large families.

Offers a polydactylous cat to the Zoological Gardens. [Offer declined and letter forwarded to CD.]