Comments on the travels of JDH.

Genera plantarum a most worthy undertaking.

Criticisms of the Darwin–Hooker understanding of HCW’s views of convergence.

CD’s opinion of minor critics and commentators on Origin.

H. C. Watson’s notion of genera converging is dismissed.

Changes in admission to Athenaeum.

Slowly working at his volume on Variation.

Experiments on insectivorous and "sensitive" plants.

Henrietta’s continuing poor health. JDH’s suggestion to rub her with cod-liver oil.

Asa Gray’s pamphlet.

Ill health.

Invitation to Down for weekend with Huxley and W. B. Carpenter.

Argument, based on geographical distribution and competition, for a mundane glacial period rather than cooling of one longitudinal belt at a time.

Henslow is dying.

H. W. Bates’s excellent article against glacial period [Trans. R. Entomol. Soc. Lond. 5 (1860): 352–3] leaves CD "dumbfounded".

H. C. Watson’s hostility.

Affectionate regards to Henslow.

CD infers [incorrectly] from Huxley’s report that Henslow is dead.

CD misunderstood Huxley: Henslow is not dead.

Lieut. F. W. Hutton’s original review [Geologist 4 (1861): 132–6, 183–8] understands that mutability cannot be directly proved.

CD met Bentham at Linnean Society and asked him to write up his views on mutability.

Opinion of Owen.

Conversation with Lyell on antiquity of man.

Offers to go to Henslow despite his own poor health.

Henslow’s long suffering.

Donald Beaton’s articles in Cottage Gardener clever but not to be trusted.

Henslow’s death.

What a contrast C. C. Babington will be as Professor of Botany at Cambridge.

Beaton not to be trusted.

CD may switch from Athenæum to London Review & Wkly J. Polit.

CD’s doubts on biography of Henslow. Writing recollections of Cambridge days at JDH’s request.

Has written recollections of Henslow [Collected papers 2: 72–4].

CD’s changing taste in periodical literature.

William Darwin’s partnership in bank.

Work: variation and orchids.

Many mutual acquaintances are ill.