Pleased by favourable English newspaper reviews of Erasmus Darwin. Charles Reinwald has not yet said whether he wants to use annotations intended for German readers.

What are functions of "yeomen of the armoury" on p. 1? Who is "old Hooker" on p. 34? Needs to explain them in annotations [to Erasmus Darwin].

Thinks CD has no need to reply to Samuel Butler’s hostile article [in the Athenæum]. Offers to reply himself.

Returns [Butler’s] attack, which he forgot to send yesterday.

Birthday greetings.

Regrets Butler’s malicious attack.

Agrees not to reply to Butler.

German edition of Erasmus Darwin delayed because Murray has not sent phototypes and galvanographs.

Two of CD’s articles from Nature to appear in April Kosmos ["Sexual colours in butterflies", Collected papers 2: 220–2, Kosmos 7 (1880): 72–4;

"Fertility of hybrids from the Chinese goose", Collected papers 2: 219–20, Kosmos 7 (1880): 77–8].

Moritz Wagner will begin a series criticising natural selection.

Sends German edition of Erasmus Darwin.

[CD’s notes form part of a draft for 12586.]

Glad to receive the German edition of Erasmus Darwin. Hopes sales will be good. Favourable review has appeared in the United States, in the Nation.

No significant reviews of Erasmus Darwin have appeared yet in Germany.

Sends response from a theological opponent.

Profit on Erasmus Darwin is £9 15s 5d. Sends cheque. 218 copies remain unsold.

Responds to CD’s offer to pay for subscription to Kosmos.

Comments on his own honorarium for English edition of Erasmus Darwin. Success of German edition.

Has sent 2d ed. of his book, Werden und Vergehen [1880]. Notes that book was attacked in Prussian House of Deputies by ultramontane critics of Hermann Müller who had recommended it to his pupils.

Thanks CD for copy of Movement in plants. It will be reviewed in Kosmos [8 (1880–1): 258–71] by Hermann Müller.

Kosmos will probably cease publication. Publisher has decided to sell.

Fritz Müller has suffered from flood.

Müller’s latest letter contains a polemic against Wagner’s migration theory,

and some interesting observations on Crustacea.

Comments on Pangenesis. Quotes long passage from article by Fritz Müller concerning regeneration of lost members among crustaceans.

Kosmos has been sold to Eduard Koch in Stuttgart; will be converted into a weekly. Science will be de-emphasised. Krause seeking new publisher to continue on old basis.

Gustav Jäger injured in train accident.

Would like to reply to Samuel Butler’s Unconscious memory [1880] in Kosmos.

Encloses reply to Butler [Kosmos 8 (1881): 321–2]. Has also written a reply intended for English reader. Will have it translated for Popular Science Review if CD thinks suitable.

Report of Jäger accident was an error.

Kosmos has been purchased by Eduard Koch in Stuttgart and will continue as in the past.

CD may choose where to publish EK’s reply to Butler. Would prefer Athenæum. Thinks it better that CD not reply himself.

All his advisers agree that CD ought not to take notice of Butler’s attack.

F. M. Balfour has offered to translate EK’s reply to Butler and to send it to Nature. [The letter was published in Nature 23 (1881): 288.]

Has written to Balfour concerning the Butler affair.