Oliver overlooked CD’s request about rutaceous flowers. Of precisely which points about the ovules does CD want illustrations?

Criticisms of and suggestions for CD’s draft MS on Nägeli [for Origin, 5th ed.].

Replies to CD’s questions. Advice on use of term "morphology". Is much struck by CD’s idea that uniformity of an organ throughout a group implies functional inutility; the paradox of this position for classification.

Does not fact that characters important in systematics are often of no use, corroborate CD’s view that such characters, if not detrimental, may persist ad infinitum?

Social news.

Orchids translation should goad [French] Academy into electing CD.

JDH will be sent to St Petersburg congress by Government.

Huxley on protoplasm; his address to Geological Society.

Fertilised an Aucuba with pollen of various species. Reports on results.

Account of his Russian trip.

Recounts the trip back from St Petersburg – visits to botanic gardens and museums throughout Western Europe.

Pleased that CD admired Bentham’s address [see 6793]. JDH had read it in MS and modified some very heterodox passages about insularity. CD has hit the flaw in it.

F. A. W. Miquel is a convert.

Reflects how Bentham might have been more cautious had he read ARW's volumes.

On reading F. Müller’s Facts and arguments for Darwin [1869].

Pangenesis.

Agrees with CD on fascination [of snakes].

Huxley is at Comte again.

Huxley has shown him the jaws of an Anoplotherium brought from the Gallegos by R. O. Cunningham.

Saw Hallett’s wheat crops at Brighton; results of his selection very striking.

Huxley is assembling his Darwiniana papers for republication.

Has written a crushing reply to Richard Congreve ["The scientific aspects of positivism", Fortn. Rev. n.s. 5 (1869): 653–70] and JDH feels "infantine" beside him.

Comments on Sabine’s being offered and accepting K.C.B.

Did not intend to imply that Hallett said variation stopped, but that it arrives at a point where further accumulation in direction sought is so slow as to result practically in fixity of type – but not absolute fixity.

Duke of Argyll has requested JDH to superintend publication of a flora of India. JDH thinks he [Argyll] is paying him off for his kick at natural theology.

Willy [Hooker] returning from New Zealand.

A unique character in Drosophyllum.

Sees no reason for CD to contribute to Ross and Faraday memorials.

Reports on events at Exeter [BAAS] meeting. G. G. Stokes made a first-rate President.

Huxley "poured boiling oil" over James McCann in answer to his "conceited dogmatic sermon".

F. A. W. Miquel is coming to stay.

Will come to Down on 25 Sept.

Thanks CD for supplementaries ["Fertilization of orchids", Collected papers 2: 138–56] which he will quote in the British flora [The student’s flora of the British Islands (1870)].

F. A. W. Miquel could not come.

Time of his arrival.

Will bring bark story with him.

Describes how the offer of C.B. was made. He declined a knighthood. Murchison and Lyell are trying to get him made Knight Commander of the Star of India, but he does not think there is a chance. The Duke [of Argyll?] might do it, but does not like JDH’s Darwinism.

Next Presidency of Royal Society discussed: all (Brodie, the X Club botanists, et al.) are agreed on Lyell.

Everyone is disappointed with Nature.

What did CD think of "Huxley’s rhapsody on Goethe’s ditto" [Nature 1 (1869): 9–11]?

Has corresponded with Macmillan about Nature.

Will get the Kerner book.

Mere guesses must determine which form to fix on as the type.

Raises questions about the genealogical tree.

Serves Mlle Royer right.

Lyell declines Royal Society Presidency; now look to W. R. Grove. Long postscript on JDH’s views about knighthood.