Encloses report on his paper "Old age characteristics among ammonites", [Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. 17 (1875): 236–41].

Stability of long inherited characters. Dependence of some recently acquired characters on the environment.

Thanks CD for his letter of 1 Jan 1875. Will send a paper on the genus Volvox ["Die Entwicklungsgeschichte der Gattung Volvox", Cohn Beitr. Biol. Pflanz. 1 (1875) Heft 3: 99–115].

Informs CD of his discoveries of the "house"-building capacity of Difflugia, one of the lowest forms of organism.

Sends CD his writing on Aldrovanda and Utricularia, which he is welcome to use in his forthcoming book [Insectivorous plants].

Has observed a Dionaea fertilised without insect aid.

Thanks for F. v. Hellwald [Culturgeschichte (1875)].

StGJM’s article in the Quarterly Review [137 (1874): 40–77] contains wholly false and malicious accusations against CD’s son George. Since StGJM has refused to make any sort of retraction, CD will not hold any future communication with him.

CD has written to Mivart to say that he will never hold any communication with him in future.

Describes accounts of potato grafting in a German journal.

Explains why he cannot sign Miss Cobbe’s anti-vivisection petition.

Is on the eve of another row with the Office of Works about his application for assistance.

Is alarmed by the petitions against vivisection that are being circulated. Believes there is scope for reasonable legislation and would like to see eminent physiologists prepare a petition so that the science could be protected and animals saved from needless suffering.

Would like to see papers [on potato grafting] mentioned by CD.

CD has doubtless seen case in Gardeners’ Chronicle of vine in which scion has affected the stock [P. Grieve, "Singular sport upon a grape vine", Gard. Chron. (1875): 21].

Wants references to facts quoted in Variation for an essay he is writing on origin of British cattle.

Hopes JDH will beat Sir Douglas Galton.

Continues to work on insectivorous plants.

Can give no more information about white and dark cattle than William Youatt gave in his book on cattle (Youatt 1834).

JDH wins over Douglas Galton and Lord Henry Lennox on assistant secretary for himself.

Has called on Murray and told him Quarterly Review had disgraced itself by attacking George and CD.

Sends a letter from Anton Dohrn, which, if CD approves, will be printed with a list of all donors to the Naples Zoological Station. AGD-S has just returned from a visit to the Station and gives an account of its status. German government has made a grant.

Astonished at JDH’s success versus Galton

and his attack on Murray is superb. Has written a formal letter to Mivart enumerating his offences.

Thanks GB for his "Report on [the recent progress and present state of] systematic botany" [Rep. BAAS (1874): 27–54] and for the way in which he refers to CD’s book.

Agrees with CD on vivisection. Will communicate with Burdon Sanderson and see what can be done.

Mivart’s wriggle.

Discusses subscriptions for the Naples Zoological Station.

Thanks for note and extract.

Will be glad to read AH’s memoir when published [? "The Jurassic and Cretaceous Ammonites collected in South America by Prof. James Orton" Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. [Proc Mem Jnl!?] 17 (1875): 365–72].

Recalls AH’s visit to Down.