Has finished long paper on "Climbing plants". Prefers sending it to Linnean Society if Bentham does not think it too long.

For New Zealand flora [1864–7] CD suggests JDH count plants with irregular corollas and compare with England.

Does not quite agree about Reader.

Is Tyndall author of piece on spiritualism?

CD’s illness diagnosed as "suppressed gout".

"Climbing plants" sent off.

Encourages JDH to include notes on gradation of important characters in Genera plantarum or to write a paper on the subject. Has given prominence to gradation of unimportant characters in climbing plants. Believes that it is common for the same part in an individual plant to be in different states. Same may be true of important parts – for example position of ovule may differ.

Two articles in last Natural History Review interested him; "Colonial floras" [n.s. 5 (1865): 46–63]

and "Sexuality of cryptogams" [n.s. 5 (1865): 64–79].

Fact of similarity of orders in tropics is extremely curious. Thinks it may be connected with glacial destruction.

Leo Lesquereux says he is a convert for the curious reason that CD’s books make birth of Christ and redemption by grace so clear to him!

"Not one question [for JDH] in this letter!"

Hugh Falconer’s death great loss to science.

His own health has been especially bad this last week.

Falconer’s death haunts him. Personal annihilation not so horrifying to him as sun cooling some day and human race ending.

His health has been wretched.

Masters has written his agreement with CD’s "Climbing plants".

Darwin compliments ARW's papers published in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London and in the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society on geographical distribution in the Malay Archipelago.

Hildebrand has sent copy of his paper on Pulmonaria in Botanische Zeitung.

How much should CD contribute to Falconer’s bust?

Oswald Heer on alpine and Arctic floras.

A. R. Wallace on geographical distribution in Malay Archipelago.

Lyell’s new edition of Elements. Wishes someone would do a book like it on botany.

Thanks for Thomson’s and JDH’s views on Scott’s paper. Will send it back with advice and explanations.

Asks to borrow Botanische Zeitung (1860) with Friedrich Alefeld on Pisum [pp. 204–5].

JDH should ask George Busk whether he knows a better doctor than William Jenner "for giving life to a worn out poor devil".

Roguery at Kew.

Who wrote reviews of Linnean Society’s Transactions, of Planchon, and of subspecies in Natural History Review [Apr 1865]?

Is rereading Origin for second French edition.

Strelitzia has arrived

but no books or bottles from G. H. K. Thwaites.

Hopes his own judgment about Origin is as good as Hooker’s about his own papers.

Strelitzia’s neat mechanism for exposing pollen.

On Lubbock’s plans.

Visited by Antoine Auguste Laugel.

Guessed right on Bentham’s "Planchon".

Much struck by Thomson’s article on nomenclature [see 4812]; importance of this subject.

Sorry best scientists read so little; few read any long papers.

Feels a little better, but sickness continues.

Wants to borrow Robert Caspary’s paper on the union of buds in Cytisus [see 5012].

On FitzRoy’s life and character.

Carl von Siebold’s cases of males and females of gall insects [True parthenogenesis in moths and bees (1857)]. Each sex produced on different plants.

Haeckel’s astonishing case of propagation in a Medusa.

Emcloses copies of correspondence concerning his dispute with John Lubbock.

Bad month of sickness. John Chapman’s ice bag on spine.

Does not quite agree with JDH about Lubbock’s plagiarism charges. Lyell’s memory must have failed him.

Agrees with JDH on Lyell–Lubbock controversy except that Lubbock’s printed note does not seem to him insulting. Hopes JDH can heal the breach.

Huxley’s capital, witty letter.

Charles Kingsley has written of his interest in "Climbing plants".

Health has been very bad.

Health very bad. All scientific work stopped for 2½ months.

E. B. Tylor’s Early history of mankind [1865] impresses him.

Would like JDH’s opinion of last number of Spencer’s [Principles of] Biology [vol. 1 (1864)], especially on umbellifers. CD not satisfied with Spencer’s views on irregular flowers.

ED reports on CD’s health.

Was glad to read JDH’s article on glaciers of Yorkshire ["Moraines of the Tees Valley", Reader 6 (1865): 70].

Reader article [6 (1865): 61–2] about English and foreign men of science is unjust.

Lubbock is now lost to science.

B. Verlot’s pamphlet on variations of flowers [Sur la production et la fixation des variétés dans les plantes d’ornement (1865)] is very good.

Condolences on W. J. Hooker’s death [12 Aug 1865].

His own health is bad.