Describes an astounding "sort of mis-begotten-bird-creature", the Archaeopteryx, a grand Darwinian case.

His elephant paper is out in Natural History Review [(1863): 43–114].

His admiration for HF’s paper on American fossil elephant.

Notes "temporary irruption of S. American forms into N. America".

Rejoices that HF has "smashed" case of Mastodon on Timor.

Shares HF’s anger at Owen.

He is eager to hear about fossil bird [Archaeopteryx].

Comments on criticisms of species theory by [Johann Andreas?] Wagner.

Describes research on fertilisation of Melastomataceae.

Comments on his elephant paper

and CD’s observations on dimorphism in Melastomataceae.

Answers CD’s query on the free digits of Archaeopteryx.

Jaw with teeth found associated with Archaeopteryx fossil. Waterhouse pronounces it a fish’s jaw.

If jaw belongs to Archaeopteryx, it will show great peculiarity. A German author has advanced the case as argument for Origin.

Has been in France, conveys good wishes from Quatrefages.

Describes the fossil of an unusual mammal head from Brazil.

Good of HF to tell him about Brazilian beast. So intermediate a form is "very glorious". Must assume it is very old.

Further description of the Toxodon-like mammal, Typotherium.

Sends information about Pliocene fauna of the "Forest Bed" of the Norfolk coast.

A genus described as extinct by Owen is found by E. A. I. H. Lartet to exist in Russia.

Edouard Suess attributes to Oswald Heer and HF the generalisation "That the time during which a new species is formed, is (as a rule) very short in comparison with the time during which it persistently presents the same peculiar specific characters". [Edouard Suess, "Über die Verschiedenheit und die Aufeinanderfolge der tertiären Landfaunen in der Niederung von Wien", Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien (Math-naturw. Klasse) 47 (1863): 306–31.] [See 4277.]

Thanks for information about Pliocene mammal. Interested in relating process of formation to duration of the species. Oswald Heer’s view that species suddenly formed surely false.

Bad summer with much sickness. Going to Malvern [for water-cure] for a month.

Muddled over phyllotaxy and made out nothing.

HF will send E. Suess’s paper [Edouard Suess, "Über die Verschiedenheit und die Aufeinanderfolge der tertiären Landfaunen in der Niederung von Wien", Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien (Math–nat. Klasse) 47 (1863): 306–31] which deals directly with natural selection.

Sends address.

Comments on BAAS meeting at Newcastle.

Is having E. Suess’s essay [see 4284] translated; will forward it as soon as it is done.

Returns a letter wrongly addressed by CD [4361].