Has met Capt. George Strong Nares of the Challenger expedition at Huxley’s.

Huxley much at a loss to explain red clay at deep sea-bottom.

JDH informs Asa Gray that he is very busy & feeling the weight of his responsibilities. Hs main concern is [his daughter] Harriet Hooker's health. She will be sent to the South of France, probably to stay with friends in Cannes, later JDH will join her & they will travel to Algiers to visit Colonel Playfair. JDH & Playfair will make a tour of Algiers from April to May [1875]. JDH's Aunt, Mrs Dawson Turner of Liverpool, will keep the house whilst JDH is away. Her children have been guests of JDH as they have no house, their father Dawson William Turner is in confinement but will soon be out & JDH hopes to send him on a long voyage 'to secure his health'. JDH has found that Elliottia is synonymous with Tripetaleia of Japan. He continues to work on GENERA PLANTARUM, currently struggling with Sapotaceae. Mentions that Miguel has made omissions of [Richard] Spruce & [George] Gardner in the FLORA BRASILIENSIS. Asks Gray for specimens of Shortia, he has kept it distinct from Schizocodon following [Carl Johann] Maximovicz, whose work he admires. By contrast he does not like the way Baillon works.

Lyell very ill.

No two specimens of Glaucium are alike.

Lord Henry [Lennox] still burkes JDH’s application.

On Lyell’s death; JDH has arranged for burial in Westminster Abbey. His thoughts on a testimonial.

More trouble with Lord Henry Lennox.

JDH has received Asa Gray's letter of 12 Feb [1875]. He reports that his great friend [Sir Charles] Lyell is dead. JDH got up a petition for Lyell's burial in Westminster Abbey, signed by fellows of the Royal, Linnean & Geological Societies, & Stanley has as good as offered this honour. Lyell's brother died 3 weeks earlier. Mentions Gray's rheumatism. Dismisses Mrs Sullivant & advises Gray to do the same. Gray's request for catalogues of scientific papers has not yet come before the Royal Society Library Committee. JDH is sending Gray's herbarium [Harvard University Herbarium] a copy as a gift from himself, the cost will be more than covered by the sale of Gay's duplicate specimens so he will also send the SYNOPSIS FILICUM & Plate III of FLORA OF BRITISH INDIA. Accepts Gray's offer of Jamaican plants, though he cannot be certain they are new. [George] Bentham seems well but is plagued by sudden attacks of diarrhoea. In an additional annotation JDH mentions the [William] Carruthers affair & that: 'Nathaniel Lindley is Counsel for the King'.

No summary available.