Thanks for information about rudimentary organs. Asks about rudimentary character of human hair and panniculus carnosus.

Has just sent MS of Variation off to printer. Is in darkness about its merits.

News of family and their health. Riding seems to help him.

CD’s Variation is in printer’s hands.

Orchid self-sterility.

On the Duke of Argyll and a review of his Reign of law.

Asa Gray’s theological view of variation. God’s role in formation of organisms; JDH’s view of Providence.

Insular and continental genera.

Owen on continuity and ideal types

and on bones of Mauritius deer.

On man.

Thanks WT for information.

Will not include chapter on man in Variation but plans separate essay in future.

Asks for specimen [of Eozoon] for J. V. Carus of Leipzig.

CD thinks JVC’s preface is fair to Bronn. Regrets JVC has not added notes of his own, but, having dropped Bronn’s appendix, it is perhaps best to leave the text without comment. Rejoices that the German public can now judge the Origin fairly.

Has written to W. B. Carpenter for a specimen of Eozoon to send to JVC.

Asks to meet EB for a walk in the Zoological Gardens.

Is so unwell he must cancel appointment to meet at Zoological Gardens.

Asks for information concerning study at King’s College.

Sends J. P. M. Weale’s paper on Bonatea for consideration by Linnean Society [J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Bot.) 10 (1869): 470–6].

Observations on orchid self-sterility.

Wants information on characters that may have originated through sexual selection in lower animals.

Encloses queries on expression.

Discusses JPMW’s paper on Bonatea [see 5411].

Mentions Robert Brown’s views on pollen.

Many of EB’s remarks about Origin [4th ed. (1866)] are new to CD.

Thinks of writing a short essay on man.

Struck by EB’s remarks about orang. They are similar to Carl Vogt’s remarks on origin of man from distinct ape families.

Thinks similarity of orang to Malay must be accidental.

Will send Variation when it is published.

Thanks PR for his memoir on Epipogium ["Über den Blüthenbau von Epipogium" (1866)]. The structure and manner of fertilisation are new to CD;

he has long suspected that the classification of orchids requires considerable modification.

Asks why caterpillars are sometimes beautifully coloured. It poses a problem for view that sexual selection is the explanation of colours of male butterflies.

More on mimetic butterflies.

ARW’s explanation of protective value of conspicuous coloration is ingenious.

CD still holds to sexual selection with respect to beauty in male butterflies.

Sexual selection and the races of man.

Expression of emotions is another subject he plans to include in his essay [Descent].

Asks ARW to suggest an observer in Malay Archipelago to whom he might send queries [on expression].

Asks JvH’s assistance in making observations on the expression of emotions. Encloses 17 queries that are being sent to various parts of the world.

CD’s queries on expression as reprinted in Notes and Queries on China and Japan 1 (1867): 105.

Encloses his queries about expression which he asks JPMW to forward to trustworthy observers who associate with Hottentots and Kaffirs.