Offers to experiment on the digestibility of chondrin and chlorophyll by Dionaea for CD.

Has noticed that painters depicting complex expressions give different expressions to the two sides of the face.

Discusses variation and selection in Harz canaries.

A letter from Anton Dohrn declines the proposed fund [that THH and others suggested be raised in England for marine biological station at Naples].

Hooker’s inaugural as President of Royal Society a success.

R. Owen distinguished himself in his way.

On the vermiform appendix,

snipes breeding in England,

and the horns of crossbred sheep.

Movement in plants.

Information on species of Cassia.

Illustrates, with reference to different species of Gasteria, the role of twisting in the development of leaf arrangement.

Sends observations from a friend in India confirming CD’s view that bees cut the tubes of flowers to extract [nectar] in order to save time.

Also observations on snails descending from trees on threads suspended from their tails.

Thanks CD for book.

Mentions controversy involving Haeckel.

Describes his lectures on Darwinism.

Describes features of an ear of a microcephalous idiot, one of which contradicts Carl Vogt’s views [Mémoire sur les microcéphales (1867)].

Describes an ear from a microcephalous idiot, which does not lend support to Ludwig Mayer’s view [that points on ears are mere variations; see Descent, 2d ed., pp. 15–16].

Is working on involution rather than evolution, with results confirming CD’s teaching.

Is about to undertake an intensive investigation with other scientists of general paralysis in its various aspects. Would appreciate CD’s comments on photographs he would submit.

Thanks CD for subsidence references in response to HHH’s Nature paper ["The distribution of volcanoes", 9 (1874): 141–2].

Hopes to refer to CD’s having previously suggested the corresponding elevation of continents and sinking of the larger oceans in his next letter to Nature [9 (1874): 201–2]. Occurrence of volcanoes at boundary between rising and sinking lands reconciles his views with CD’s.