JDH discusses the displeasure of John Smith, Curator of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, at his proposed removal from the Curator's House to a more manageable dwelling, such as Baker or Taylor's house, owing to Smith's illness. JDH has explained to Smith that the plan is to keep him on as Curator, even if he cannot walk, but hire an Assistant Curator to help him, & that these measures are being taken in the hope of prolonging Smith's life. JDH reports that Smith blamed one Mr Curndale for being deceitful about the matter & claimed he had heard rumours the job had been offered to Dunne or someone else whose legs worked, through the Duke of Buccleugh [Buccleuch]. JDH suggests this rumour may have arisen if the Duke spoke to Noel or Mitford [of the Office of Works] about the post on Dunne's behalf. JDH suspects Smith's wife is causing trouble over the matter & it has appeared in the Richmond papers. JDH has just received an invitation to the funeral of his niece, Willielma Campbell née Hooker at St George's Church, close to the Hotel JDH will be staying at [Royal Hotel].

CD has been elected to the Naturforschende Gesellschaft, Halle. Asks for a photograph. Encloses diploma.

Will not sign a petition, for he feels vivisection is essential to the progress of physiology.

At work on Movement in plants.

Discusses John Ball’s, G. de Saporta’s, and his own theories of higher plant origin. Their rapid development remains an "abominable mystery".

Frank is working in Würzburg.

JDH writes to inform Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer that [Isabella] Hooker has asked JDH [& his wife Hyacinth] to stay at Largs for a few days after the funeral [of Willielma Dawson Campbell] to support the widower James Campbell. He mentions the Glasgow weather & the aragnements for the funeral at St George's Church. JDH has been walking around Glasgow remebering the places he & his brother [William Dawson Hooker] used to visit when they lived there from 1821 to 1839. They did not like Glasgow but it holds many memories never the less.

CH, a chemist interested in zoology, asks CD’s opinion of research programme described on enclosed memorandum. Programme involves investigation of ability of molluscs to build shells out of other carbon compounds in absence of calcium carbonate.

Contributes to subscription for Grant Allen.

Regrets GJR and wife could not visit.

Encloses paper [not identified] by Thomas Meehan, a very inaccurate observer.

Sends CD his collection of Homeric epithets on motion, which "indicate ideas of motion more precise and scientifically adjusted than … any other author".

Sends CD his article on causes of decline of Hawaiian population.

Regrets that he cannot send the promised volume [Biographie médicale, 7 vols, 1820–5, biographical appendix to Dictionaire des sciences medicales]. Offers to have his son make an abstract of the biography [of Erasmus Darwin].

JDH criticises John Ball’s theory of origin of higher plants in Carboniferous highlands, where low carbon dioxide levels permitted survival.

Sends an oration he delivered at the Royal College of Physicians in CD’s presence.

Has failed with his experiments on aerial roots.

Best wishes for CD’s trip to Cumberland.

Thanks SW for text of his oration

and an [unspecified] article on parrots.

Difficulties with Krause’s handwriting and the time required to correct his sources have delayed the translation [of Erasmus Darwin].

Discusses Müller-Thurgau’s work on heliotropism. Will start on Thursday for Heidelberg and Strassburg.

Asks GHD to send name and address of tailor from whom he got the [LL.D.] gown to W. B. Richmond.