Thanks Fd’AF for his interesting letter. CD suggests observations it would be worth making [in the Azores] although he is too old to make any direct use of them. Fauna and flora of different islands should be compared and the plants and animals from all high mountain summits collected. Suggests Fd’AF investigate the presence of glacial deposits and fossils on the islands. Survival of eggs in salt-water should be tested, as the wide distribution of lizards, land molluscs, and earthworms is a perplexing problem.

Will be very glad to read the essays Fd’AF sent.

Praises WG’s Creed of science.

He disagrees that the existence of natural laws implies purpose, but his "inmost conviction" is that "the Universe is not the result of chance". But then has horrid doubt whether convictions of man’s mind, which has been developed from lower animals, are at all trustworthy.

Believes natural selection is doing more for progress of civilisation than WG admits.

Movement of plants to shake off water: FM’s invaluable observations.

Inquires about "bloom" on leaves.

Fertilisation of Melastomataceae, roles of the two sets of anthers.

Is returning to Down.

Rejoices that GJR writes so much in Nature.

Comments on FMB’s book [Treatise on comparative embryology, 2 vols. (1880–1)]. Had already purchased copy. Could second copy be sent to someone else? Fritz Müller?

Will be glad to read over her article.

Thanks for a "grand volume" [vol. 3 of Monographiae phanerogamarum (1878–96)].

A stock certificate has arrived for FD.

Comments on the response to Movement in plants, which seems to have been successful.

Is going over revises of Earthworms.

Is investigating further his notion that leaves align themselves in the rain so as to shoot off drops of water.

Reports splendid cases of "paraheliotropism" which he now believes is one of the commonest movements of plants.

Comments on her life of Lyell.

No summary available.

Declines dinner invitation.

Will order Progress and poverty. Comments on ARW’s political interests and his own absorption in W. Graham’s The creed of science.

His sojourn at Ullswater: "life has become very wearisome to me".

Thanks AB for his letter, his essay on climates ["Theorie der wechselnden kontinentalen und insularen Klimate", Bot. Jahrb. 2 (1882): 1–50, 177–84], and for his photograph. Sends his own.

Communicates two cases of inheritance reported by J. P. Bishop [in 13137]. The work of E. Brown-Séquard has demonstrated that effects of injuries can be inherited ["Hereditary transmission of an epileptiform affection accidentally produced", Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 10 (1860): 297–8]. E. Dupuy has sent CD a still more remarkable case.

Orders a case of soda water.

Asks what to do with [unspecified] receipt.

Thinks CGS right not to reply to critical article by Lankester.

Discusses direct action of environment as cause of variability; the finding of Hermann Hoffmann that direct action of environment affects plants very little.

Thinks hairs on moles are secondary effect like hairs on ulcerated surfaces. Suggests he not publish until he has independent evidence of reversion.