Has heard that Mr Allen wishes to let his house and thinks it probable that it would suit his son [Francis]. Asks whether he may have refusal of it.

Hears from Frank [Darwin] that Drosera behaves perversely. Suggests that motor influence may move longitudinally away from the excited glands.

Discusses his health following a visit to Dr C[lark?]. Has made an appointment for CD.

Thanks KM for gift of his "great work on Capital" [2d German ed. of Das Kapital]. Wishes he understood more of "the deep & important subject of political Economy".

Information for CD’s use in investigating digestion by Drosera.

Sends tracing of ancient Egyptian illustration of dogs and cattle.

Sends CD a draft of a letter to Nature [see 9087], which he thinks expresses CD’s meaning.

CD thinks GHD’s letter is an excellent clarification [of CD’s conjectural view on the elimination of useless parts in species], but does not want to publish it as his [CD’s] own. Asks GHD to think carefully before he publishes it.

Sends formula for pure pepsin for experiments on digestion of Drosera, and information on legumin. Will send chlorophyll soon.

Sends, with CD’s approval, a clarification of CD’s explanation of how useless organs might diminish [see 9061]. Using Quetelet’s law of normal distribution GHD shows how horns of cattle, having become useless, would gradually diminish and finally disappear.

Has decided to send the letter ["Variation of organs", Nature 8 (1873): 505].

Writes of his poor health and problems of settling in at Trinity.

Mimosa prostrata, described by John Lindley as M. marginata, native of Brazil.

Who supplies CD with distilled water and chemicals?

Requests a piece of the most sensitive litmus paper in order to test the secretions of minute hairs of plants which catch minute flies. [See 9098.]

Thanks CD for copies of his books.

Sends chlorophyll extract [for CD’s work on Drosera digestion].

On CD’s paper ["Complemental males of certain cirripedes", Collected papers 2: 177–82].

Comments on paper by W. H. Dallinger and J. J. Drysdale ["Life history of a Cercomonad", Mon. Microsc. J. 10 (1873): 53–8].

Discusses origin of life, the Gastraea theory and concept that primary germ layers are homologous in all animals. Notes similar views of E. Ray Lankester ["On the primitive cell-layers of the embryo", Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 4th ser. 11 (1873): 321–38].

Reception of Darwinism in Germany.

Thanks AB for his review of Expression [May 1873, in The senses and the intellect, 3d ed. (1874), pp. 697–714]. Admits vagueness of some points. Has never grasped AB’s principle of spontaneity. But, as they look at everything so differently, it is not likely that they should agree closely.

A recent review by T. S. Baynes, [Edinburgh Rev. 137 (1873): 492–528] is "magnificently contemptuous" toward CD and many others.

Asks for details about microscope parts.

Wants FD to ask Hooker for species of Desmodium; CD believes he has found new movements.

Also ask whether Hooker has Drosophyllum.

The results of EF’s tests for acids in the secretion of Drosera are largely negative [see Insectivorous plants, p. 88].

Has not seen number of Botanical Bulletin with account of Apocynum.

Has got a cold, so will not go to Kew. Wrote to Hartnack about price of microscopes and describes own model. Told Hooker about Tisley Spiller’s microscope in Paris.