Asks whether his observations on absorptive powers of glandular hairs of plants are new facts.

Asks for a Drosophyllum.

Comments on Francis Galton’s article in Fraser’s Magazine,

Greg’s Enigmas,

and Alphonse de Candolle’s Histoire des sciences.

Fascinated by Greg’s Enigmas, though its matter is weak.

Is vexed at being drawn into hostility toward British Museum through William Carruthers’ insolence and presumption.

Recounts visit with Edward Cardwell [Secretary for War].

Has sent Candolle’s book to Gladstone.

JDH indignant at Gladstone’s speech putting English science below French and German.

Thinks it is an accepted dogma that glandular hairs are excreting only. Will ask others to confirm.

Explains why he wants Drosophyllum.

Hopes JDH will be elected President of Royal Society.

Agrees with JDH on Greg’s Enigmas.

Would like Greg to visit Down if JDH comes as CD’s "protector".

Drosophyllum is coming from Dublin. Will ship it to Down when it arrives.

The awful honour of Presidency of Royal Society; his aversion to dignities and honours.

R. Strachey [Proc. R. Geogr. Soc. (1873): 450] has paid him and CD a compliment.

Letter from Gladstone.

Had thrown Geographical Society’s Proceedings in waste-basket, but as Strachey shows such admirable powers of discrimination he will fish it out and read the whole article.

Comments on 3d ed. of Sachs’s work [Lehrbuch der Botanik (1873)]. Wishes he were more controversial.

Has become wonderfully interested in Drosera and Dionaea.

9000 copies of Expression have been printed and most are sold.

The Drosophyllum goes to Orpington by train this evening.

No summary available.

JDH writes to Asa Gray about his work on Pinus, including the nomenclature & synonymy of various species, including P. edulis, P. fremontia, P. llaveana, P. cembroides, P. perryana, P. chihuahuana, P. tuberculata, P. insignis & P. torreyaan. He has begun working on Oaks & finds them even more confusing. JDH has received Gray's letter of 4 June & bag of Torreya seeds. Mentions a Wardian Case of Sikkim Rhododendrons, [part of the letter following this mention is missing]. JDH refers to some RBG Kew staff & mentions that he pays his wife £100 per annum for working 4, 4 hour, days a week. JDH has been elected the new President of the Royal Society over Spottiswoode & the Duke of Devonshire. JDH has reservations about Gray's plans to employ a German Professor, he suggests an American or Swiss man would be better. William Thiselton-Dyer would not take the job as Professor, he has been offered lucrative positions abroad before but is determined to stay in Britain. The following day JDH will go to Cheshire to visit Mr Tollemache, who is an intimate friend of William Gladstone & previously brought Gladstone to visit RBG Kew.

JDH asks Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer to take special note of how Wilson Saunders cultivates plants from the Cape [Cape Peninsula, South Africa] so they can emulate the techniques in the pits at RBG Kew. He also wants to know where Saunders got the Elleanthus chrysocomus & Cotyledon mamillaris which he gave RBG Kew. Mr Pritchard has informed JDH that [William] Carruthers will drop his claim [that the RBG Kew herbarium should be transferred to the British Museum of Natural History to form one national herbarium] if papers can be produced that prove the RBG Kew herbarium is government property. The C. S. [Civil Service?] Commission have informed JDH that Spink's exams put him at the bottom of a list of 5 candidates [for a gardener position at Kew]. [George] Nicholson, a candidate with no training or references had the highest scores & impressed [John] Smith with his capacity so JDH has agreed to hire him. Thanks to ' [Acton Smee] Ayrton's folly' Nicholson will be on twice the salary he would have accepted, £150 per annum rather than £75. In additional marginal notes JDH mentions a letter from Reynold, [George] Bentham & his Linnean Society 'matter', & asks Thiselton-Dyer to write a few pages on the distribution of [Nathaniel] Wallich's Dipterocarps.

Hopes Drosophyllum was all right.

Opinion of Council of Royal Society [on Presidency] is twelve for JDH, five for Duke of Devonshire, and G. B. Airy for William Spottiswoode.

Drosophyllum arrived; none of his observations turned out as he expected, but nevertheless he understands its habits better than he did. The secreting hairs that he observed may be explained as a mere chemical reaction.

Comments on various articles he has read.

Asks for Thiselton-Dyer’s notes.

No summary available.