Hooker’s lecture to BAAS ["Insular floras"] was capital,

but hears Wallace’s paper [Address to Anthropology Section, Rep. BAAS 36 (1866): 93–4] was best.

Pleased RS continues zealous work for natural history.

CD considers the report that N. American antelopes’ horns are intermediate between hollow and solid horns of ruminants to be one of the more curious facts he has lately heard of with respect to higher animals [C. A. Canfield, "On the habits of the prongbuck", Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. (1866): 105–11].

On his "Insular floras" lecture.

Huxley’s success as President of Section.

D. W. R. Grove’s address. Grove left Darwinism to JDH after "sounding the charge".

Disappointed to put off CL’s visit because of illness of CD’s sister [Susan], but hopes to see him in October.

Thanks for lending pamphlet [L. Agassiz, Geology of the Amazons]. Agassiz has written "wild nonsense".

Refers to a translation of Pictet and Humbert’s "capital" paper on fossil fish ["Recent researches on the fossil fishes of Mount Lebanon", Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 3d ser. 18 (1866): 237].

Hooker’s lecture at BAAS Nottingham meeting.

Thanks CD for his efforts on behalf of JvH’s Royal Society candidacy.

Is at work on a large-scale map of the Southern Alps [of New Zealand].

The ever-growing goldfields and their effect on the country.

Sends a "remarkable" enclosure [missing], evidently by a working man, which will interest CD as "shewing that ideas are spread".

L. Agassiz’s evidence [for glaciation of America] is very weak.

Thanks AG for arranging for American edition of Variation, but doubts that the book will be successful.

Has found no differences in pollen of Rhamnus so cannot conjecture whether it is dimorphic.

The common oxlip of England is certainly a hybrid between the primrose and the cowslip whereas Primula elatior is a good species.

Reports experiments on the relative vigour of seedlings from cross- and self-fertilised plants.

Has had the blocks cut as requested and forwards the proofs.

Encloses article on habits of jungle fowl.

Blocks for Variation are much improved. WBT deserves membership in Zoological Society.

Thanks AG for Considérations générales [sur les animaux fossiles] de Pikermi [1866]. The observations on the various intermediate fossil forms seem most valuable.

AG does not fully understand what CD means by "the struggle for existence, or concurrence vitale".

[N. C.?] Seringe’s article [unspecified] has come safely.

Feels deeply at CD’s distress [Susan Darwin is dying].

Drosera will go in a day or two.

Sends a paper, by the wife of the local curate, on the habits of animals.

Quotes Botanical Magazine on Erica massoni. Its branches terminate in large umbels of flowers that are extremely viscous and entrap insects.

Asks her to see whether the flowers or leaves of Erica massoni are noted as glutinous in the Botanical Magazine.

Inquires about the pods of peony: are they brilliantly coloured and do birds eat them?

Replies to CD’s two memoranda, GB explains: 1. That he never said thistles do not produce seeds, but rather that the infinite majority of new plants are propagated from buds

2. That book-borrowing rules of the Linnean Library are not so stringent as the Librarian makes out.

Susan Darwin still lives, but is dying.

Requests an Erica massoni to compare with Drosera.

On L. Agassiz’s "astonishing" view that Amazon Valley was filled with gigantic glacier. Asa Gray says LA is determined to cover the globe with glaciers in order to destroy "Darwinian views".

Excellent review of A. Murray [The geographical distribution of mammals] in Gardeners’ Chronicle [(1866): 902].

Frankland’s Royal Institution lecture ["On the source of muscular power" Not. Proc. R. Inst. G. B. 4 (1862–6): 661–85].

Wallace’s paper.

Fertilisation in orchids: Friedrich Hildebrand’s paper.

Self-sterility.

Climbing plants.

Agassiz’s attempts to eliminate all Darwinian views.

Thanks WB for his paper ["Address in surgery", Br. Med. J. (1866): 186–97, read at British Medical Association annual meeting, 9 Aug 1866].

His memory deceived him about GB’s statement [on propagation of thistles].

Sends his paper ["On the glacial phenomena of Caithness", Q. J. Geol. Soc. Lond. 22 (1866): 261–81], which shows glaciation under marine conditions in Scotland.

Drosera and Erica massoni have been sent.

Had heard of Agassiz’s theory but not that CD’s theory had raised it.

JDH wrote the article on A. Murray.

Frankland’s lecture too much for him.