Wants JH to write to the Public School Commissioners to express his views on what direction education should take in the public schools, especially JH's views on the teaching of the physical sciences.

Sends [William] Lassell's reply and JH's own letter regarding telescope at Melbourne for review. All will be forwarded to Lord Rosse. Also sends lithograph.

Comments on HF’s paper on Plagiaulax from the Purbeck beds. Paper "dreadfully severe" on Owen.

"I am worse than ever in bearing any excitement."

Glad HF attacked Australian Mastodon. Never did believe in him.

Mentions Primula paper [Collected papers 2: 45–63].

Writes to ask JH to contribute to the living expenses of GM's brother, Adalbart Adolf Mühry.

Is grateful for his comments on his paper. Will adapt them to his own hypothesis.

Sends CD West Ireland soundings.

More detail on his review "a la Lindley" [see 3797].

Bates’s paper ["Contributions to an insect fauna of the Amazon valley", Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 23 (1862): 495–566] is capital.

Andrew Murray’s article plays into CD’s hands through sheer ignorance.

JDH is on Royal Society Council.

Has no recollection of applying natural selection to Polynesians. None but a German would dig out such a passage if it exists [see 3812].

Has caused Tyndall to modify his pseudo-geology.

Has not seen Duke of Argyll’s review [Edinburgh Rev. 116 (1862): 378–97]. [The Duke] did not understand Orchids the least little bit, nor the Origin, when JDH saw him.

Appreciates CD’s acknowledging his letter and his comments on Acropera. Will send CD the Acropera capsule which is now maturing.

Experimenting on vegetable parthenogenesis.

Structure of Acropera.

J. C. Wickham, B. J. Sulivan, and Arthur Mellersh visited a fortnight ago.

Oldest son [William] now a banker.

Sends photograph.

Health too bad to see anyone at present. Rarely sees FitzRoy.

Thanks for the perusal of the papers; these show a maturity of thought unexpected in a youth of eighteen. Comments on the moral questions included.

No summary available.

Thanks LB for copy of his Aus Natur und Wissenschaft [1862]. Responds to LB’s comment [on Origin].

Astronomische Nachrichten 1392 compares positions of forty nebulae by G. F. J. A. von Auwers, H. L. d'Arrest, and P. E. Laugier. Calculations for JH's [Catalogue of] Nebulae are complete and ready for inspection.

Flower structure of Cypripedium insigne.

Please send receipt for £20.

In reply to CD’s letter, "Peas" in Gardeners’ Chronicle [8 Nov 1862; Collected papers 2: 70] sends information on the duration of some of A. Knight’s crossed varieties.

A German scholar says JDH first applied natural selection to replacement of races of men, the ruder races of Polynesians yielding to civilised Europeans. CD cannot remember reading this.

Warns JDH to take care Welwitschia does not turn into a case of barnacles and consume years instead of months.

In what months do flowers appear in Acropera loddigesia and A. luteola? CD is alarmed by John Scott’s observations on them, which differ from his own. "I am very uneasy."

Discusses proposed Melbourne telescope, including [William] Lassell's proposed mounting and its implications for observing nebulae.

Asks GA for a copy of G. F. J. A. Auwers's nebula catalogue [see GA's 1862-11-17], and a sample of the nebula listing for JH's catalogue.

Thanks for letter. Further regarding Our Satellite by A. D'Orsan and its similarity to a work of Warren de La Rue.

Accounts for money spent in reducing JH's catalogue of nebulae. Encloses sample page from catalogue and Astronomische Nachrichten No. 1392 [see JH's 1862-11-18].