Responds to her suggested corrections [of Descent].

On the expression of disagreeable surprise.

CD was good enough to send notice of his new book [Descent] for the first number of the Academy; asks for further contributions and suggestions.

Experiments with Lapageria.

Does not give much for botanical results of Round Island, but the zoology is wonderful.

Lyell’s new book [The student’s elements of geology (1870)]. Urges Lyell to make it Elementary principles.

Grove is disgusted with CD for being disquieted by William Thomson: "Take another dose of Huxley’s penultimate address to Geol. Soc." [Q. J. Geol. Soc. Lond. 25 (1869): 28–53].

Would like to call at 10 o’clock on Wednesday morning.

Would like to see JDH become Sir J. H. Does not think JDH owes his position in science to his father.

Sends questions on Round Island – if JDH should write [to Henry Barkly?].

Has he read Federico Delpino on Marantaceae [Nuovo G. Bot. Ital. 1 (1869): 293–206]?

Will not be returning to London for a week; writes to save CD’s calling.

HM intends studying bees to find evidence supporting CD’s theories. His work has shown him there are problems in separating species from varieties, and has also revealed many surprising instances of variation in habits.

Thanks for drawing. ‘The "Woolnerian tip" is worth anything to me.’

Jury of fox-hunters report on hounds’ behaviour when catching fox. Fox never behaves like frightened dog.

Interested that HM is studying structure of insects in relation to flowers.

Thanks CD for copy of Origin.

Encloses extensive, but incomplete, notes on expression among the insane, dealing specifically with blushing and the actions of the platysma and grief muscles.

Interim report on the experiments with rabbits [to test Pangenesis].

The "man-essay" [Descent] is "very interesting but very difficult".

Cat-like behaviour in dogs.

Thanks for information from Louis Agassiz;

wishes he could feel he deserves what Alexander Agassiz says of him.

CD much interested by ERL’s book [On comparative longevity (1870)]. Is pleased to find ERL refers to CD’s "despised child" Pangenesis, and is also pleased how thoroughly ERL appreciates Herbert Spencer, a philosopher perhaps equal to any that has lived.

Is currently at work on the development in birds of organs of flight according to CD’s principles; asks permission to quote CD in stating the theory.

Urges CD to republish his works in a collected edition, to make them more readily available to Germans.

Experiments are not going well, but the quantity of blood transfused was small.

Explains that law of inertia, and most of modern mechanics, is all wrong. Explains his concept of "elasticity" of bodies. Applies it to physiology.

Describes the unusual appearance of a horse whose mother had previously borne a foal by a quagga. The effect of one mating on the subsequent pregnancy of another mating is explained by JJW using Pangenesis.