Sends CD some Indian corn seeds to demonstrate the extreme effect sometimes producible on progeny by the mutilation of a parent.

Writes of a recent book.

Will collect the "precious animal" [deerhound puppy] from King’s Cross.

Thanks GC for information on the perch.

A month in the West Indies, where he saw the luxuriant struggle of tropical vegetation, has brought HH "still more closely within the circle" of CD’s doctrine.

Asks PLS whether he will look over list of names of birds [for Descent] to make sure they are spelled correctly. "I have a most unfortunate weakness … to copy proper names incorrectly".

Describes his children, who all seem to have inherited both dark hairs from their mother and light hairs from WGS with the latter greatly outnumbering the former.

W. C. Wells’s theory relating black skin-colour and immunity to malaria may be true. Has seen Negroes come down with fever, but these were generally light in colour.

Thanks for the information sent by WGS in his letter of 4 November 1870.

Details of an apparently hereditary deformity in a man.

Sends CD a paper dealing in part with animal pigmentation [Med.-Chir. Trans. 2d ser. 411 [check vol no!?] (1870): 263–90]. Discusses relationship between white colouring and susceptibility to poisonous plants.

Has read WO’s paper [see 7361] with great interest. If WO’s views are confirmed he will be able to explain many odd little details about the colouring of animals.

Can WO observe if the platysma myoides is brought into strong action in people suffering from severe dyspnoea?

Ideas of female beauty of W. African Negroes are on the whole the same as those of Europeans.

Thanks PLS for his generous offer to go over the part on birds [in Descent]. Does not think PLS realises that there are more than 200 pages – most of which will have nothing new for him.

W. H. Hudson’s proofs have arrived ["Letters on the ornithology of Buenos Ayres", Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. (1870): 87–9, 158–60, 332–4, 545–50, 671–3, 748–50, 798–82; (1871): 4–7, 258–62, 326–9].

Relates instances of rabbits suffering from a condition which affects only the patches of white on their fur.

Will make observations on the platysma for CD.

Pleased CD is quoting him in Descent.

Accepts PLS’s offer to read proofs of [Descent].

W. H. Hudson’s paper is interesting.

Sends CD two books outlining a new geological theory. Believes his theory explains the discontinuities in the fossil record.

Glad "Bran" [deerhound puppy] arrived safely.

Discusses his present book [Descent].

Would like to hear results of JM’s November booksale.

JM reports 1900 [advance] copies of Descent were taken at his annual sale,

and 340 copies of Origin [5th ed.] were sold.

Sheets for Dutch publisher will be sent to CD immediately. JM cautions against possibility that Dutch edition will anticipate the English.