Finds statistical evidence that cousin marriages are at least three times as frequent in "our rank" as in the lower.
Sends queries [on proofs of Descent, 2d ed.]. Will be finished, except for the index, in two days.
Is now less satisfied than formerly with his statistics on cousin marriage.
[Enclosure is a copy by GHD of J. S. Mill’s statement about Origin (Logic 2: 18 n.).]
Sends Descent material. Is staggered by CD’s power of marshalling facts and his conciseness and clearness of thought. The only fault he finds is some slight want of conciseness of diction.
He feels CD’s power more now "that I quail before the thought of arranging the few paltry facts I’ve got about those d––d cousins".
Intends to keep working on [Descent, 2d ed.] proofs despite his illness.
After taking advice he has decided to write an explicit denial and short account of his essay and send it to the Quarterly Review.
Regrets he cannot follow the line of denial CD suggests. Explains why he must defend himself against charge that he approves of oppressive laws.
Sends a draft of his letter to the editor of the Quarterly Review [137 (1874): 587–9], answering Mivart’s charges. Encloses draft of CD’s letter to John Murray, urging publication of GHD’s defence, with George’s amendments.
Urges CD not to break with Murray even if he does not force the editor [of Q. Rev.] to insert GHD’s letter [in response to Mivart’s attack]. Murray may have a rule not to meddle with editor.
Has been invited to lecture at the Royal Institution by Spottiswoode. Discusses subjects he might deal with and his reasons for attempting it.
Tells of a complicated case of a double sale of a living.
Huxley says F. M. Balfour passed brilliantly.
GHD explains conduction, radiation, and convection.
His paper on political economy for Royal Institution lecture has reached 60 pages. Plans to send it to Contemporary Review.
GHD has been using E. Norman [CD’s copyist], and he apologises if this has caused delays to CD’s work.
Spottiswoode is pressing for an answer to invitation to GHD to lecture at the Royal Institution. GHD is having MS of the paper he has written sent to CD, so that CD can advise whether he should accept the invitation.
Has finished the "cousin paper" and will offer it to W. Farr for the Statistical Society.
Describes other work in progress.
Has CD heard of A. M. Mayer’s curious work on audition of insects [Am. J. Sci. 3d ser. 8 (1874): 89–103?]
Letter [to editor of Contemp. Rev.] saying that W. D. Whitney would like to reply to Max Müller. Hopes space can be given him.
Sends errata for Insectivorous plants 2d printing.
Errata for Insectivorous plants, 3d printing.
CD’s suspicions that Legrain falsified experiments on interbred rabbits are like second sight. Has sent a copy of the letter to A. H. Huth.
Henry Sidgwick and A. J. Balfour are "spiritualising" again.
Sends an article for CD’s opinion.
Has finished an account of the globes for the Philosophical Magazine ["On maps of the world", 50 (1875): 431–44].
His poor health has interfered with his pitch experiments.
Has sent a copy [of his article on cousin marriage] to Hermann Müller.
Problem he is now working on is a tough nut: "It does not do what [James Clerk] Maxwell said it wd or ought to do".
Müller has sent Chips [from a German workshop (1867–75)] and a boring defence against WDW’s attack. GHD feels he is maligned for using the weight of CD’s name in his Contemporary Review article. CD says Müller has misinterpreted a letter from CD as supporting him in his controversy with WDW.