Thanks JWL for having acceded to CD’s wish to acquire a piece of land to provide a sheltered walk at Down.

Enclosed MS by Lieut. W. Christopher misrepresents CD’s views. Contains errors in zoology.

Disappointed with Webb and Berthelot.

Delighted to hear of more species from the Galapagos, surprised to hear W. Indian character of flora.

Orders John Pye Smith’s book [Relations between the Holy Scriptures and some parts of geological science (1839)].

Will come to visit Kew if Claude Gay speaks English. Otherwise would prefer to wait until spring.

Will visit JDH in spring.

Will JDH ask Gay what birds, reptiles, or mammifers inhabit Juan Fernández [Island]?

Has JDH seen William Herbert’s paper ["Local habitation and wants of plants", J. Hortic. Soc. Lond. 1 (1846): 44–9]?

Thinks JDH’s explanation of polymorphism on volcanic islands is probably correct.

Proposes experimental test to see whether alpine form of a plant is inherited like a true variety.

Has had to make a Post Office order to JDH payable at Charing Cross instead of Kew.

Does Sir William [Hooker] know the Dean of Manchester’s London address?

Thanks for note on Atlantic dust.

Suggested in private to Edward Forbes that bird migration might follow lines of now sunken land.

Has admired WT’s work for years.

Will some day publish on variation.

Sends enclosure for JDH to read [letter from E. Forbes, 956]. "I cannot see my way about his post-miocene land."

Glad to hear of JDH’s botanical appointment [with Geological Survey].

Edward Forbes has written about his subsidence doctrine; CD objects to its hypothetical base.

Agrees with JDH about Forbes’s views.

Discusses A. Saint-Hilaire’s lectures and asks on what grounds botanists judge the relative "highness" of plants.

C. G. Ehrenberg wants specimen grasses from Ascension Island.

Sends copy [of "Fine dust in the Atlantic Ocean", Collected papers 1: 199–202]. Attempting to obtain further samples for CGE.

If JDH can send grasses CD will write to Ehrenberg enclosing them.

Discusses publication of his book [South America].

Thanks for the gift of Frémont 1845. Has had a visit from R. J. Mackintosh and his wife Mary, Appleton’s sister.

Thanks for his note; as soon as CD knows how many Cordillera Tertiary fossil shells require illustration he will make arrangements for GBS jr to begin.

Returns copy [of J. Hortic. Soc. Lond.]. Mentions article by William Herbert ["Local habitation and wants of plants", J. Hortic. Soc. Lond. 1 (1846): 44–9].

On geological works of Tschudi and Buch.

"My health keeps indifferent & I do not suppose I shall ever be a strong man again: everything fatigues me, & I can work but little at my writing: this summer, however, I shall get out my geology of S. America".

"I found Bronn’s Geschichte, which you recommended me, very useful, for references to facts on variation".