Sends John Blackwall’s book [Researches in zoology (1834)]. Discusses his reasons for doubting that there are any marsupials in Java or Sumatra.
Discusses classification of animals. Degree of affinity different for different taxonomic groups. Discusses affinity of Ornithorhynchus or Echidna to reptiles.
Brain of whale is highly developed; on differences among brains of Quadrumana.
Explains what he means when he attempts a "natural classification", defining his words and using man as a standard; gives examples. Classification of Aptera and Diptera.
Discusses his discharge from the Zoological Society. Is to see Robert Brown about the British Museum position.
Regularly attends Owen’s lectures. Owen at pains to show groups are not linked. Thus makes Lepidosiren appear fish-like.
GRW thinks embryology will become chief guide to insect classification. But contradictions between classification based on embryological and adult characters do occur.
Defines the term "typical species" and discusses its use among zoologists. Cites example of type of Carnivora. Comments on general law of development of parts in animals. Cites teeth of Carnivora.
Is puzzled by CD’s question about the Viverridae; thinks if there were only one species he might regard it as an aberrant of some other group and not select it as a type of the Carnivora.
Discusses insects collected by CD on St Paul’s Island and the Galapagos.
Notes on Galapagos Coleoptera.
Is about to send his paper on Galapagos beetles to press. Has written some introductory material on which he invites CD’s comments.
Discusses his paper on CD’s Galapagos beetles ["Coleopterous insects … in the Galapagos Islands", Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 16 (1845): 19–41] which he will forward when printed. Has drawn up descriptions of several other insects from CD’s collections.
Notes the islands, where known, on which CD’s Galapagos beetles were found. Remarks that in none of the species whose place of origin is known, does he have specimens from more than one island.
Sends a list of mammalian remains found in the Buenos Aires district and purchased by the British Museum.
Sends list of aberrant forms of Curculionidae.
Discusses in detail the artificiality of Carl Johan Schönherr’s classification. Sound generalisations about geographical distribution depend on sound classifications. Warns against putting too much faith in current catalogues.
Gives instances of sexual differences in the number of tarsi within species of Coleoptera and also variation in the number of tarsi between related species.
Comparison of skulls of Ichthyosaurus and Cetacea.
Has found no reference to construction of bees’ cells in works referred to by CD. Describes cell of Osmia atricapilla. Hive-bees’ cell was described at Entomological Society.
Bees’ cells. Observations on Osmia atricapilla.
GRW’s observations of and ideas on bees’ and wasps’ cells.
Bees’ cells; GRW thinks hexagonal shape is accidental. Encloses notes on cells of Icaria.
Bees’ cells; is the hexagonal shape deliberate or merely the result of lateral pressure on cylinders?