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".

No summary available.

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].

Pleased that JC-B will review Expression.

Fears he will not be able to improve the book with JC-B’s "wonderfully curious" photographs because Murray printed such a large edition.

Would be glad to have JC-B’s notes on inheritance – "a most important subject".

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.

Distressed by the poor health of GHD and Horace. Asks them to come home.

Asks CD about the origin of certain expressions in man.

Thanks for HR’s valuable remarks about Expression, and returns HRs copy, signed.

Discusses some of HR’s anecdotes about children sucking their tongues.

Admits that the youth who trembled so that he could not reload his gun after killing his first snipe was himself, when a school-boy.

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.

Much obliged for seeds. Will expose seeds to chemical vapours.

Comments on JTM’s spider experiments.

Asks about woodblocks of illustrations for Climbing plants [1875].

Astonished by Agassiz’s argument; has sent AG’s memorandum to Nature [see 8786].

Is working on cross- and self-fertilising plants and has temporarily stopped work on Drosera.

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.