DM is highly gratified by CD’s opinion of his labours on boulders [see 12252]. He owes his start on this subject to CD. Since 1843 he has supported CD’s views on transportation of boulders by ice.

Sends £2 for the "Buttonian subscription" [see 9229].

Thanks for CD’s reply to her letter and his kindness. She is getting over her difficulties.

Sends his thanks for the beautifully illustrated book for children [What Mr Darwin saw]

and for the memorials of William Lloyd Garrison. [See 12248.]

DM may show CD’s letter [to the Royal Society].

Pleased that his old paper should have stimulated DM to such excellent work.

Wants some seeds to see how certain seedlings break through ground.

Suggests £20 as a fair payment for his work on Erasmus Darwin.

Describes cow with three toes

and a woman with two functional nipples on left breast.

Sends corrections. Printing of German edition has not yet begun.

Charles Reinwald wishes to print only CD’s sketch. French hostility to Germans the reason.

Gustav Jäger and Robert Caspary no longer on title-page of Kosmos.

Thanks CdeC for his work [Anatomie comparée des feuilles (1879)]. The plates are wonderfully good.

Thanks for ESM’s paper [see 12201].

Remarks on progress of Japan.

Condolences on the death of JL’s wife.

Polydactylism is very common, and so are supernumerary mammae in men and women.

Thanks for all Horace has done for him and for his ship-shape account. Hopes Horace has charged him enough. There will be less to divide amongst them, which seems to please Frank.

Forwards newspaper reports by growers of Torbitt’s potatoes. Torbitt is in much distress and CD fears all his work will be thrown away unless he is aided.

Sends drawing and description of butterfly discovered in Celebes. It is noteworthy for its colour, which plays a role in mating.

Is obliged for the note about Wallis Nash’s death, but he has since heard that the report was false.

Requests seeds of Ipomoea and Megarrhiza for observations on seedling growth.

Is rereading MS of Movement in plants.

Asks CD what title to put on spine of Erasmus Darwin. Suggests 7s 6d as the price.

Asks CD to examine his idea that human and animal sociology are related, as each is based on the principle of mutual concession (derived from Schopenhauer’s law of compassion). If CD approves, he should write a note and forward it and GMA’s letter to Macmillan’s Magazine.