Thanks SD for some furniture. Describes arrangement of furnishing at Down and work carried out on the grounds. Children are "very full of their approaching lessons".

Describes circumstances surrounding discovery of seed in sand-pit. Encloses certificates testifying to the good character of the men involved.

Has sent WK’s paper to the Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Kemp 1844).

Thanks father for loan. Explains difficulty of acquiring the land through which the approach to Down House now runs.

Chalcidites collected by CD are all similar to those of Europe. Mentions other specimens quite different from European forms.

Henslow has sent him CD’s Galapagos plants along with Macrae’s. JDH impressed by the island endemism, which "overturns all our preconceived notions" on centres of radiation. Describes the extent, and the sharp demarcation at longitude 60° W, of the American and European Northern Hemisphere floras. CD’s plants among those he is using to do Antarctic flora. Drimys winteri shows a graded series of states down the length of the South American continent.

Thanks JDH for short sketch of botanical geography of Southern Hemisphere. Comments on his own S. American collections and observations; notes other Galapagos collections.

Says Hooker does not want plant.