No summary available.

Profusely thanks GA for his letter [see GA's 1854-3-23]. The family will keep JH at home. Talks about her interest in a nearby mound as a possible ancient site.

Will submit statement if [Audit Office] insists, but does not believe this will afford any check on correctness of silver bullion inventory.

Confirms arrangement to meet next day.

Comments on EL's paper on zodiacal light; JH disagrees with EL's arguments and suggests rethinking them.

Sends some suggestions for additions to draft report of the Standards Commission [see GA's 1854-3-23]; thanks GA for the report on the eclipse of Thales.

Regrets inability to write [obituary] memoir of François Arago for R.S.L. Anniversary Meeting.

Gold and silver coinage will be suspended during 'Enquiry week.' Use this time to produce copper coins.

JDH thanks Gray for his critique of one of JDH's papers. JDH knows he is a difficult person when it comes to criticism. He mentions the issue of defining species & the significance of genetic resemblance & explains that he & Thomas Thomson have touched on the subject in the introduction to the FLORA INDICA. This long introduction will also include an account of the history of Indian botany, an essay on the climate & geographical account of the provinces. JDH is distributing & naming his Indian plants & laments the lack of standard nomenclature. He is currently working on Antidesmas with reference to Tulasne's paper, which is imperfect because of the shortcomings in the French collections he consulted. He mentions the difficulty in pinning down the characteristics of wild & cultivated Yew. JDH has taken a house on Kew Green for George Bentham, near William Jackson Hooker's herbarium in Hanover House. The herbarium now has a curator. Sometimes JDH thinks of abandoning Kew to write for the press in London, he finds it hard to support his growing family on a government salary whilst living in expensive Kew. JDH's father WJH is trying to secure JDH's continued employment for the Office of Woods & Forests but JDH is not optimistic. JDH stays at Kew to please his father & to have access to his herbarium & library. Nathaniel Wallich is very ill, Brown better at present. The Van Diemen's Land [Tasmania] Government have purchased 6 copies of JDH's forthcoming FLORA TASMANIAE & the income is welcome as he made no money from his Antarctic expedition southern floras. JDH describes his recent work on fossil plants, especially Trigonocarpi from coal formations, they resemble Salisburia. JDH outlines his responsibilities regarding scientific societies, he is on the council of the Royal, Linnean & Geographical societies. He has managed to secure a review of the state of the Linnean Society botanical collections. Mentions Caspar Georg Carl Reinwardt is dead at Leyden [Leiden].