CD, Sir John Lubbock, Ellen Frances Lubbock, and S. E. Wedgwood, petition the Board to grant permission for the school hall to be used as a reading room in the evening during winter.

Thanks VD for information on caterpillars selecting food plants from within one family,

and on similar behaviour in hogs, which will not eat any plants from a family containing some poisonous members.

CD is glad to hear of nature of JF’s work;

proposes that JF call when CD comes to London.

Has read JF’s attack on Agassiz ["Agassiz and Darwinism"] in Popular Science Monthly [3 (1873): 692–705].

Discusses experiments and observations on pitchers [of Nepenthes]. Suggests procedures for JDH to follow.

Any plant of any family with a terminal or with any lateral leaflets greatly reduced would be interesting to CD for studying spontaneous movements.

Has not received Eucalyptus or Acacia plants from Rollisson.

Thanks for the paragraph, which he had not seen and now returns.

Answers THH’s query about W. H. Flower; gives the amount he contributed to the gift. Advises against returning it, even anonymously. Hopes WHF’s health improves.

Suggests experiment and observations to carry out on pitcher [of Nepenthes].

Is coming to stay in London and wants to arrange a visit to Kew to talk with JDH, see the Eucalypti, and observe Mimosa albida.

Returned from visit.

Thinks several species of Eucalyptus would be worth experimenting on. Sends list.Mimosa albida would be worth its weight in diamonds. Neptunia worth more than diamonds.

Arranges a visit to CL.

Requests permission to call upon EF either Friday or Saturday morning [14 or 15 November].

Frankland is sending JSBS organic acids for him to try artificial digestion. CD will send globulin and haemoglobin.

CD writes about organising a subscription for Dohrn’s Zoological Station at Naples. Has drawn up a draft circular for naturalists to sign to show their support for the Station.

Thanks for assistance. He will write fully to Wallace tomorrow.

Thanks for FH’s work on the means of the distribution of plants (Hildebrand 1873).

Informs JVC that he is beginning a second, corrected edition of Descent, in case a new edition is wanted in Germany.

Sorry to hear of GHD’s poor health – he could have pleasant society at Cambridge if he were stronger.

Contributes £75 [to a fund for Naples Zoological Station] "if the affair goes on after we hear from Dohrn".

Would be happy if ARW would undertake to help with correcting the proof-sheets of his revised edition of Descent. Outlines the job that would be required.

CD’s son [George] could do the work [of proof-correction for Descent, 2d ed.] if ARW finds he does not care for it.

Sends the very little globulin and haemoglobin he has to be tested with artificial gastric juice. He could get more from Samuel William Moore. Perhaps T. L. Brunton knows about the digestion of chlorophyll by animals.