JDH writes to his daughter, Harriet Anne Thiselton-Dyer, congratulating her on the promotion of her husband, William Turner Thiselton-Dyer, to the post of Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. JDH considers the promotion well deserved & hopes it will be advantageous to Harriet's family, though there will although there will also be 'bitter' aspects. JDH thinks that Harriet will regret leaving her current, pretty home for the Director's house, but reassures her that it is very suitable, especially for a Government house. He is very pleased that Thiselton-Dyer will have his own Clerk of the Works. JDH adds that he will bring his letter for Lord Iddesleigh [Stafford Northcote].

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JDH has just written an obituary for [Brian Houghton] Hodgson & will now write one for Ferdinand] von Mueller. Writing these Society obituaries is becoming too much work for JDH. JDH has been corresponding regarding [Joseph] Banks. Mr Ings[?] has sent him letters written by [Daniel] Solander, Cunningham, & [William?] Anderson which will be donated to the RBG Kew herbarium. JDH is pleased that Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer will take over the finances for the Royal Society, not Britten. As a trial for work on the Ceylon [Sri Lanka] flora JDH has been looking at the genera Carex & Fimbristylis with reference to work by [George] Clarke & [Geroge] Bentham. He thinks it would take him 2 years & 2 volumes to complete the flora following [Henry] Trimen's style, & the Government will need to subsidise it. JDH has heard that [George] King is going to request another year [as Superintendent of the Calcutta Botanic Garden and Cinchona cultivation in Bengal].

JDH returns Poulton to Thiselton-Dyer [WTTD], [presumably a copy of Edward Bagnall Poulton's book CHARLES DARWIN AND THE THEORY OF NATURAL SELECTION]. JDH comments that Poulton makes too much of [Thomas Henry] Huxley & that Newton wishes to belittle both. JDH says he has written to F[rancis] Darwin on the matter. JDH talks about how he is unable to grasp the notion of Pangenesis & he & Darwin disagreed on it. Comments that WTTD's judgement of [Brian Houghton] Hodgson is just. He is a different person from the one JDH knew in Darjeeling. Comments on rumours, perpetuated by Yule & [Sir William Wilson] Hunter, of an alleged alliance with a Kathmandu woman, likely to have been a girl he bought at the market. JDH sees it as an unwise, chivalrous act for Hodgson to have brought her to live in his house at Darjeeling, which Hodgson may now regret. Describes how [Archibald] Campbell felt the dishonour of his 'old chief', Hodgson. Hunter did not include [in his biography THE LIFE OF BRIAN HOUGHTON HODGSON] all JDH said of his obligations to Hodgson. Mrs Hodgson assumed wrongly thought he JDH was one of her husband's paid collectors in India. JDH encloses duplicates of a Medallion [probably Wedgewood with a portrait of Hodgson] & a copy of one of [Sir Joseph] Banks's for Australia. He says that he has sent all to [Ferdinand von] Mueller.

JDH informs Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer [WTTD] of an interesting French manuscript he has read, which includes an account of the vegetation in Mauritius, Bourbon & Rodriquez. JDH would like to get the Rodriguez account translated & published. JDH notes that [Dom Alexandre Guy] Pingré observed the transit of Venus at Rodriguez in 1671. JDH has asked Captain Oliver to see the views of Reunion & St Helen he has referred to. JDH thanks WTTD for sending a phot of himself, JDH explains the reasons he does not like full face photographs. JDH is seeing Sir Saul Samuel & will try to get some books from him on Joseph Banks: The 'Brabourne Papers' [Possibly Edward Hugessen Knatchbull-Hugessen, 1st Baron Brabourne] & a book by [George] Suttor. JDH mentions that WTTD is in deadlock with Reeve & Co [the publisher].

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