Disappointed with Webb and Berthelot.

Delighted to hear of more species from the Galapagos, surprised to hear W. Indian character of flora.

Goes on the assumption that each species has one origin, is immutable, and migrates.

Disagrees with Gaudichaud[-Beaupré] that volcanic island species are polymorphous.

Some mundane genera vary, others do not (Senecio vs Gnaphalium).

John Lindley’s doctrine of longevity of trees is amazing.

Edward Forbes’s health is better.

Will come to visit Kew if Claude Gay speaks English. Otherwise would prefer to wait until spring.

Will visit JDH in spring.

Will JDH ask Gay what birds, reptiles, or mammifers inhabit Juan Fernández [Island]?

Has JDH seen William Herbert’s paper ["Local habitation and wants of plants", J. Hortic. Soc. Lond. 1 (1846): 44–9]?

Thinks JDH’s explanation of polymorphism on volcanic islands is probably correct.

Proposes experimental test to see whether alpine form of a plant is inherited like a true variety.

Has had to make a Post Office order to JDH payable at Charing Cross instead of Kew.

Does Sir William [Hooker] know the Dean of Manchester’s London address?

Sends enclosure for JDH to read [letter from E. Forbes, 956]. "I cannot see my way about his post-miocene land."

Glad to hear of JDH’s botanical appointment [with Geological Survey].

Edward Forbes has written about his subsidence doctrine; CD objects to its hypothetical base.

No summary available.

Thanks for Edward Forbes’s letter. Botanical evidence conflicts with parts of his theory but supports others. Is becoming more of a migrationist.

Bentham agrees with JDH on polymorphism.

No summary available.

Agrees with JDH about Forbes’s views.

Discusses A. Saint-Hilaire’s lectures and asks on what grounds botanists judge the relative "highness" of plants.

C. G. Ehrenberg wants specimen grasses from Ascension Island.

JDH recognises the existence of "altered states" of continental species in island floras. The botanists’ difficulty in determining a new species is no grounds for dismissing the important question of altered forms.

Will look for Ascension plants for Ehrenberg.

French Galapagos collections confirm JDH’s view that plants arrived from north.

Cannot agree with Forbes on North Atlantic flora.

Botanical definition of "highness" and "lowness" usually means complexity and simplicity.

Some plants, such as aquatic ones, are cleistogamous. Cannot see why they should not be.

If JDH can send grasses CD will write to Ehrenberg enclosing them.

Is pleased JDH will attend to polymorphism and also with the botanical relation, as stated by JDH, between Africa and Java.

Would welcome any information on impregnation in the bud.

Hugh Falconer gives no specific objections to Forbes’s views.

Botanical contrast between Cape of Good Hope and the rest of Africa is as strong as that between Australia and India.

Wishes CD would leave off snuff.

CD’s suggestions for improving a paragraph by JDH.

On distribution of certain species and their variation relative to a central, typical form.

Interested in sterility of alpine plants in lowland and sterility of some plants in cultivation.

Curious to see Galapagos paper.

CD brought some plants in spirits from Tierra del Fuego. Did JDH see them?

Problems of explaining formation of coalfields. Comments on recent work on coal formation.