Good news about Frankland. Expecting burnt earth. Almost finished the Foodbodies Paper on Acacia. He and Amy are learning to use the new printing machine.

Expresses his pride in FD, whose article ["On the structure of the snail’s heart", J. Anat. Physiol. 10 (1876): 506–10] was highly praised by G. H. Lewes.

Lewes has also been quoting FD’s letter in Nature [13 (1876): 384–5] on pycrotoxine in relation to the vivisection controversy.

Was introduced to James Sully, author of the article in Mind on Wilhelm Wundt ["Physiological psychology in Germany", 1 (1876): 20–43]

and Sensation and intuition (1874) [see 10320], by "Mrs Lewes" (George Eliot).

Writes of his "geo-mathematical" work.

Informs CD which woodblocks of illustrations to the Geology of "Beagle" are in their possession and which are missing.

On his new paper for Royal Society on a point of leaf arrangement. Asks CD to communicate it and "gives some details of its contents", e.g., recorded observations of changing leaf-order on individual specimens.

Comments on a paper by George Henslow ["Helianthus tuberosus", Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 26 (1876): 647].

Thanks CC for dedication [of his Grundlage des Crustaceen-Systems (1876)]. Congratulates CC on completion of work.

Has read letter from Jemmy. Amy has been practicing on the printing machine. Fritz has come back from the Vicar of Orpington.

Comments on the reaction of geologists to GHD’s work on elevation of continents.

Responds to CD’s query as to the duration of crossed varieties of peas. [See Cross and self-fertilisation, p. 305.]

His samples of earth have been sent for analysis. EF has saved CD and his son from wasted experimenting.

Thanks AWvH for his work on Justus Liebig [The life-work of Liebig (1876)].

Encloses article on local immunity to tuberculosis. Has he interpreted CD’s views correctly? Believes the immunity notable in areas like Iceland or mountain areas is due to local conditions, not natural selection. Describes his sanatorium in mountains of Silesia and medical criticism of his work.

Asking to borrow three wood blocks.

CD sends the gist of an extremely negative report from the [Royal Society’s] physiological referee on the value of RLT’s modifications of Brücke’s process for isolating pepsin [see 10470].

Two parts of the second edition of the Italian translation of Variation are already out.

Expression will soon follow [published in 1878].

The publisher [Unione] asks CD to give him the right of Italian translations of his works.

Reports seeing flowers of wild cherry bitten off in same manner as primroses [see 9418 and 9444]. In this case it was done by a squirrel, though birds also bite the flowers of the cherry-tree.

Has repeated his observations and experiments used in Insectivorous plants; finds them sound.

Revises his reference to production of pepsin.

Sends Die Perigenesis der Plastidule [1876]. Comments on CD’s theory of Pangenesis. Explains his own theory of Perigenesis.

Returns Webb and Berthelot, Îles Canaries; Géographie botanique [1840].

Describes work on 3d ed. of Anthropogenie.

Thanks AD for sending a memoir on foliation of rocks ["Expériences sur la schistosité des roches", C. R. Hebd. Acad. Sci. 82 (1876): 710–16, 798–804]. Regrets to say that it never reached him.

A reader of Descent offers two items: 1. Masters observed a pericardial fold in humans and other mammals which is a vestigial left superior vena cava;

2. JM suggests the frenum of the human penis became necessary for vis-à-vis copulation when man became bipedal.