Has sent Vichy water, discusses prescription. Tell Arthur Parslow not to continue on colchicum for gout if doesn’t suit him. May go to Pryor’s on Sunday.

Fears [CD’s] albumen theory will not work because albumen is coagulated and filtered out in making extracts of belladonna, hyoscyamine, and colchicine [alkaloid poisons].

Has investigated whether it makes a difference if extracts [of alkaloid poisons] are made from leaves, seeds, or roots.

Thanks for Expression. Will write paper on it in next [July] West Riding Asylum Medical Report.

Sends photos of lunatics;

will send notes corroborative of CD’s views, including some on "hereditarily transmitted movements".

Although he believes in evolution, TM feels that natural selection is an inadequate cause;

nor is he satisfied with E. D. Cope’s law of acceleration and retardation.

Discusses some of his work relating to nutrition and sex and colour and sex.

Praise for and detailed comments on Expression.

Two cases of coloration in animals – one from sexual selection, the other helping to procure prey [see Descent, 2d ed., pp. 542–3].

Recounts the difficulties in preparing the French translation of Origin: the 1870 war, the illness and death of J. J. Moulinié, the alterations and additions from the 6th English edition. Despite competition from Royer’s three editions, Reinwald is contemplating a new edition.

Descent, vol. 1, has almost sold out. Offers CD £40 for rights to reprint a corrected version of Descent.

Asks CD about the origin of certain expressions in man.

Opposes all corporal punishment. Pleased CD agrees with his pamphlet.

Insists that suckling babies pound and scratch mothers’ breasts. Perhaps CD’s evidence to the contrary comes from ladies, who only expose small portion of bosom, as opposed to working-class women.

Various observations on sexual selection portion of Descent – ostriches, rosy-billed duck, egrets, rails, etc.

Thanks CD for one of his books.

Sends CD a copy of his book [Die Urgeschichte der Menschheit, 2 vols. (1873)].

In Germany CD’s views have achieved great recognition among naturalists, but in other disciplines there is great controversy. OC’s book seeks to resolve the controversy by showing how state, morals, religion, and church have developed from natural beginnings.

A circular advertising a meeting at the Senate House, Cambridge, on 25 March to discuss a memorial to Professor Adam Sedgwick.

Thanks for CD’s regrets at AWB’s leaving Nature.

Plans English editions of Asa Gray’s books [How plants grow; How plants behave].

Other publication plans.

Thanks for congratulations on appearance of abstract of HA’s paper [Nature 7 (1873): 343–4].

Explains again his theory of "contraction with twist" by which compact buds and a spiral phyllotaxy have evolved. Explains how the peculiar phyllotaxy of the teasel is explicable by this process of "condensation".

CD’s notice in Nature [Collected papers 2: 171–2] induces WP to send letters from correspondents recounting stories of a dog that learned to open a door and of another that found his way home from London to Cowes.

Two students express their gratitude and admiration.

Compares sense of smell in dogs and cats.

An admirer sends clipping from Bremen newspaper on hybrid between orange and lemon.