John Murray has announced his next book [Cross and self-fertilisation] without CD’s knowledge. It is only half-written. JVC will hear when it is published and will decide whether it is worth translating. It will be dry, but, CD believes, of value.

Has read an account of JVC’s Scottish lectures.

Invites JVC to Down.

Requests litmus paper and gum.

French translation of Expression [1874].

Thanks for CD’s praise of his book [see 8901].

Requests permission to translate Descent into Polish.

Has completed his book [The African sketch-book (1873)].

Samuel Pozzi’s translation of Expression progressing slowly.

J. J. Moulinié’s translation of Descent is stylistically poor, which may account for low sales.

Difficult to find European naturalists to translate CD’s works. They would rather write books on "Darwinisme" under their own names.

Asks for results of FH’s experiments fertilizing some flowers with pollen from the same flower, & other flowers with pollen from distinct flowers borne by the same plant.

Has read FH’s paper on the distribution of the seeds of the Graminæ (Hildebrand 1872, pp. 740–1) with great interest.

Answers questions about the translations of some species names.

Thanks CL for copy of Antiquity of man [4th ed. (1873)]; will read the modified or new parts.

Wishes to dedicate his memoir ["Monographie der Gattung Anthracotherium", Paleontographica 22 (1876): 131–347] to CD as founder of evolutionary theory.

Praises Expression.

Reports on Fritz Müller’s observations of cross- and self-fertilisation. HM will cultivate the two forms [i.e., mainly self-fertilised and mainly cross-fertilised] in the way CD has described.

He continues his observation of wild flowers. Encloses drawing of Viola tricolor with notes on its self-fertility.

In Variation CD claims there are no distinct races of carp, but AR says that in Germany a peculiar and constant variety of carp has been bred.

VOK’s paper ["Osteology of Hyopotamidae", Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 21 (1872–3): 147–65] appears a very valuable one.

Discusses work of VOK’s brother [Alexander] on Sagitta and the ascidians.

Offers to exchange a water-colour portrait of CD, done, he believes, by Fanny Biddulph, for a copy of Descent.

There has been a decrease of game-birds in the area.

Asks that recipient forward the enclosed message from Dr Hoffmann [August Wilhelm von Hofmann?] which involves an invitation from Berlin Chemical Society to join a committee for a statue in memory of Justus Liebig.

Has no doubt he will find JJW’s address interesting.

Thinks same spot for nesting might prove attractive to birds, though they had had no intercommunication.

Sends results of his observations of cross- and self-fertilisation of Hypecoum grandiflorum and Eschscholzia californica [see Cross and self-fertilisation, pp. 331–2].

Thanks for ‘Die Schutzmittel des Pollens gegen die Nachtheile vorzeitiger Dislocation und gegen die Nachtheile vorzeitiger Befeuchtung’ (Preventive measures of pollen against damage by premature dislocation and moistening; Kerner 1873) and several pamphlets.

Calls CD’s attention to the fact that Huxley’s view [in Lessons in elementary physiology (1866)] of lymphatic fluid as overflow from blood supports CD’s view of secretion of tears in Expression.