Thinks Herbert Spencer has done little service to science but a great service to thinking.

Thinks importance of mathematics overestimated [by J. F. Moulton] in criticising Spencer.

Returns [Butler’s] attack, which he forgot to send yesterday.

Sends birthday wishes.

Discusses work on Medusae.

Recalls visit to Down.

CD advises EK on his proposed letter answering Butler.

Considering the favourable reviews, sale of Erasmus Darwin has been poor.

Describes formation of student nature study club at the University of Jena. Sends birthday greetings from the club.

"Dia" [as a prefix] means "through, across".

WED’s wife would like to meet the Huxleys.

Birthday greetings.

Regrets Butler’s malicious attack.

Sends birthday greetings

and the good news of a subvention for the Zoological Station received from the German government. There are now 20 naturalists working at the Station.

Thanks for his very kind letter.

It might be possible to borrow £500 [for potato experiments]. Variety of "The Champion" spreading over the Kingdom. Champion lately less able to produce.

Thanks society of students at Jena for birthday congratulations.

Thanks EK for kind letter.

CD’s date on epitaph is a dreadful mistake. CD often overlooks errata.

CD thanks RLT for his two notes, a newspaper article, and a copy of RLT’s address honouring him.

Thanks for articles by ASW in Gardeners’ Chronicle [see 12404]. Agrees with him.

Asks about growth of rootlets from knobs caused by fungus on roots of Cruciferae.

At the inaugural meeting of the Epping Forest & Essex Naturalists’ Field Club, CD was elected an Honorary Member.

Torbitt too poor to go on with [potato] experiments. If anything is to be done it must be by Government.

Would be glad to see RLT at Down if he thinks it fit to come there to deliver the address honouring CD.

Has been at work on Orchideae for Genera plantarum and has found CD’s Orchids wonderfully useful. Comments on some problems of botanical terminology.

Thanks AD and the naturalists at the Station for their birthday congratulations.

CD has been awarded the Bressa prize of the Accademia delle Scienze in Turin, and it occurs to him that if the Station wanted some apparatus costing about £100, he would like to pay for it.

CD pleased to be of use to GB. He remembers his own work on orchids with pleasure. Thinks GB will be able to improve CD’s terminology for orchids.