Gives his opinion on the education of girls in physiology. Would regret that any girl who wished to learn physiology should be checked.

[Draft of letter for Francis Darwin to write to SF.] CD declines to express an opinion on SF’s query.

Asks to have some funds of the Down Friendly Society transferred.

Thanks AN for telling him of the complex cross among wagtails. CD is surprised that so much close interbreeding does not check their propagation.

CD does not suppose he will ever have strength to work up his data on hybridism, so he will not write to Mr Monk.

GMT’s observations [on scarcity of holly berries] throw doubt on CD’s conclusions [see Collected papers 2: 189–90].

Comments on AW’s book [Studien zur Descendenz-Theorie (1875–6)], especially on mimicry in caterpillars.

Mentions sets of drawings of British Lepidoptera in all stages. Would AW like to see them?

CD asks if he may call next day for talk.

Has not seen Delboeuf’s article [see 10786] and would be obliged for a copy. He is not likely to have any comments as he is engaged in other work.

Thanks for essays ["Das Aufschiessen der Runkelrüben", Landwirtsch. Jahrb. Berlin 5 (1876): 31–45; "Die Züchtung neuer Getreide Varietäten", ibid 6 (1877): 193–233]. Surprised about Beta vulgaris.

CD has only a trifling point to make in criticism [of RLT’s excerpt from Diseases of women]: he believes "the high value of well-bred males is due to their transmitting their good qualities to a far greater number of offspring than can the female".

Thinks it would be a serious mistake for TB to give up his profession. How the Royal Society will distribute funds is as yet very uncertain, and CD feels that TB may well receive no support as his proposal is too theoretical.

CD notes growth of Royal Society may force it to hire officers.

Speculates on cold resistance of bacterial germs.

Will communicate to Royal Society Frank’s paper on the ingestion of solid particles by the protoplasmic protrusions of Dipsacus glands.

CD working on plant dimorphism.

CD thinks A. Günther’s tortoises are relics of closely allied forms, once widely distributed. Expressed this view to AG a few months ago. Cannot explain their restriction to volcanic islands.

Encloses £25 contribution.

Tells of his pleasure and surprise at reading JWJ’s article ["Darwin’s ""Geological observations"" ", Nature 15 (1877): 289–90].

Expresses his gratitude for the gift [a birthday album from a number of Dutch scientists]; he cannot imagine a more honourable testimonial.

Thanks for the honour conferred upon him [see 10826]; it is quite beyond his deserts.

Negotiations for loan of drawings [of Lepidoptera] have failed.

CD, who has acted as treasurer of the Down Friendly Club for the last 27 years, urges the members not to dissolve the Club, but to continue it and retain about £1000 of the funds on hand to ensure its safety and ability to give assistance to members when they are ill or invalided, or to provide for their burial when dead.

Replies to some of George Henslow’s criticisms [of Cross and self-fertilisation] made in his article ["Fertilisation of plants", Gard. Chron. n.s. 7 (1877): 203–4].