Can give no more information about white and dark cattle than William Youatt gave in his book on cattle (Youatt 1834).

JDH wins over Douglas Galton and Lord Henry Lennox on assistant secretary for himself.

Has called on Murray and told him Quarterly Review had disgraced itself by attacking George and CD.

Sends a letter from Anton Dohrn, which, if CD approves, will be printed with a list of all donors to the Naples Zoological Station. AGD-S has just returned from a visit to the Station and gives an account of its status. German government has made a grant.

Astonished at JDH’s success versus Galton

and his attack on Murray is superb. Has written a formal letter to Mivart enumerating his offences.

Thanks GB for his "Report on [the recent progress and present state of] systematic botany" [Rep. BAAS (1874): 27–54] and for the way in which he refers to CD’s book.

Agrees with CD on vivisection. Will communicate with Burdon Sanderson and see what can be done.

Mivart’s wriggle.

JDH is behind with correspondence as usual, he has been promised some assistance by the Treasury. He thanks Asa Gray for delicate notice of JDH's wife. States Romneya seeds are acceptable. Describes the recent poor health of [Charles] Lyell, including epileptic fits. Mentions books for the Linnean & Horticultural Societies. Sargent has written & JDH has received his trees. Expresses how touched he is by Mrs Gray's letter to his sister. Notes Sechium is: 'all right'. The Catalogue of Scientific Papers is on the agenda for the next Library[?] meeting. From what Henry has written JDH is not clear whether the collections of [William] Jameson were bought or lent. Jameson died on the road from Guayaquil to Quito, he was over 80 & did not have sufficient money or food for the trip. Jameson's family did not support his botanising, he had family in Quito & Dundee & his representative is probably a son who was living in Chile. JDH asks that this letter be forwarded to Miss Grace Ellis, a friend of Tyndale. Tyndale has sent JDH some "wood-hangings".

Discusses subscriptions for the Naples Zoological Station.

Thanks for note and extract.

Will be glad to read AH’s memoir when published [? "The Jurassic and Cretaceous Ammonites collected in South America by Prof. James Orton" Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. [Proc Mem Jnl!?] 17 (1875): 365–72].

Recalls AH’s visit to Down.

Writes on behalf of Royal Society Polar Committee for suggestions concerning instructions to naturalists on new expedition.

Thanks Council for their kindness; even if he had known that the right to reprint papers was a recognised one he would have asked the Council’s consent [before reprinting Climbing plants?].

Thanks for two German letters about translations, which he has answered. The enclosed one contains a proposal for CD’s correspondent to bring out a translation of a very successful German book, and must be answered by the correspondent.

Turns down an offer to undertake a German translation of one of his works.

No summary available.

CD expresses his high opinion of BGW’s papers. Thinks one on brains of dogs particularly valuable ["Anatomical papers on brain of dogs", Rep. Am. Assoc. Adv. Sci. (1874)].

Sends suggestions for observations on glacial phenomena that might be made on the [Polar] expedition [of H. M. S. Alert and Discovery, 1875–6].

The review of EBT’s book ["Primitive Man: Tylor and Lubbock"] in the Quarterly Review [137: 40–77] last year contained a false and malicious attack on CD’s son George. CD knows it was written by St George Mivart. CD wishes to take every opportunity to say how false a man he considers him to be.

Asks AG to forward [unspecified] enclosure to Chauncey Wright.

No summary available.

Does CD think it desirable for EBT’s wife to produce a new English translation of A. E. Brehm’s work [Illustrirtes Thierleben (1864–7)]?