Has no corrections for second German edition [of Expression]. Plans to bring out an improved edition in a year or two.

Thanks for reference JVC sent.

Thanks for Chapman 1873 (Chapman, John. 1873. Neuralgia and kindred diseases of the nervous system).

A letter of recommendation for W. B. Dawkins in his application for the Woodwardian professorship of geology in the university of Cambridge.

Thanks for J. D. MacDonald’s paper ["Distribution of invertebrata", Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 21 (1872–3): 218–23].

CD feels lines of genetic connection between animals offer a most difficult problem; Ernst Haeckel may have done mischief by facing the difficulty.

Is glad JEG has made out what the guemul is ["On the Guémul", Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 4th ser. 10 (1872): 445–6; 11 (1873): 214–20, 308–10].

Thanks his Italian colleague for articles on the skull of a chimpanzee.

Thanks MA for his Literature and dogma [1873].

Thinks FBG’s idea of a room at the British Museum of domestic birds and animals an excellent one, but a collection of plants would be much more difficult.

Is sorry that CIFM has had to give up translating Expression into Italian.

Sends a letter from William Huggins about a case of inherited fright in three generations of mastiffs. Discusses the different origins of instincts and their inheritance.

Is drawing up the account of his crossing experiments. Requests JDH to add the families after nine genera, the names of which he encloses. Whenever there is no objection he would like to arrange the families in some sort of natural order.

Recommends Spalding’s article on instinct in Macmillan’s Magazine [27 (1873): 265–81].

Is glad JLGK has been interested in Descent.

Thanks him for his observations on monkey behaviour [see 8698]

and drawings of skulls, which CD has sent to George Busk.

Thanks for information on worm-castings. Comments on disintegration of castings.

CD would like to know what were the sizes of insects caught by the older leaves of Dionaea.

Thanks for gift of first part of AG’s magnificent work [Animaux fossiles du mont Léberon (1873)].

Thanks for a photograph of a donkey and children.

Orders a copy of the St Paul’s Magazine for February.

Will see whether formic acid delays germination of fresh seeds.

Thinks primer not at all a folly. Refers JDH to Asa Gray’s "child’s book" [see 8363].

Praises TWH’s Army life in a black regiment [1870]. CD always thought well of Negroes, and is delighted to have his impressions confirmed.

CD answers a question about the attitude of foreign naturalists towards Darwinism by distinguishing between the belief in evolution and belief in natural selection. Gives the views of [Louis] Agassiz, [R. A.] Kölliker, [C. W.] Nägeli, [Ernst] Häckel, [C. F. W.] Claus, [F. J.] Cohn, Alphonse de Candolle, [J. L.] Claparède, Asa Gray, Gaston de Saporta, [E. D.] Cope, and [Carl] Gegenbaur.