Reports upon a breed of wild cattle found in southern India. The herd is reputedly descended from a wild, red bull that mated with tame cows.

[This memorandum was forwarded to CD enclosed with 1817.]

Asks for reference to EB’s article about tame deer on island in Aral Sea.

Asks to meet EB for a walk in the Zoological Gardens.

Is so unwell he must cancel appointment to meet at Zoological Gardens.

Many of EB’s remarks about Origin [4th ed. (1866)] are new to CD.

Thinks of writing a short essay on man.

Struck by EB’s remarks about orang. They are similar to Carl Vogt’s remarks on origin of man from distinct ape families.

Thinks similarity of orang to Malay must be accidental.

Will send Variation when it is published.

Has found EB’s MS most interesting and valuable. Fully half the facts were new to him; will probably use some.

Glad to hear about colours of Hylobates.

Cannot find any statement about which digits in man are most subject to syndactylism in Isidore Geoffroy [Saint-Hilaire]’s Histoire des anomalies [1832–7].

Asks questions concerned with seasonal and sexual changes in plumage of various bird species.

Does male woodpecker share in incubation?

Questions from CD related to bird plumage and sexual differences, with answers by EB.

Thanks EB for his attempts to find out about the mandrills;

sorry to hear that he has been so badly treated by the manager of Land and Water.