J. S. Henslow’s and C. C. Babington’s opinions on WK’s seeds.

J. S. Henslow’s and C. C. Babington’s opinions on WK’s seeds.

Babington has reared a facsimile [of W. Kemp’s Atriplex] by sowing seeds of A. angustifolia. CD has advised Kemp not to publish since anyone would say it was more probable that the seeds of his specimens were in the soil, than that the ones he found had retained vitality. CD regrets this, as he has no doubt of the antiquity of the seeds.

CD has been reflecting on John Lindley’s and C. C. Babington’s comments.

CD has been reflecting on John Lindley’s and C. C. Babington’s comments.

Congratulations on JDH’s safe return.

Henslow has sent CD’s S. American plants to JDH for examination.

Family news and their quiet life at Down.

CD is pleased with how good a case WK’s facts have made.

CD is pleased with how good a case WK’s facts have made.

Robert Brown has cast much doubt on the integrity of the seed-planting experiment.

Robert Brown has cast much doubt on the integrity of the seed-planting experiment.

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".

Comments on GRW’s paper [Rep. BAAS (1843): 65–7; Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 12 (1843): 399–412]. CD says by "link" between any two groups he never understood a half-way link, merely one in a long series. Observes that one cannot have a simple species intermediate between two great families. Criticises GRW’s use of circles to represent groups, which leads to thinking that groups are of equal value.

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

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.

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

"You will have been sorry to have seen in the newspapers, the disturbances & fightings with the New Zealanders. – I have lately been much interested in reading your chapters on the slow decrease in numbers … of these poor people. The case appears to me very curious, especially as the decrease has commenced or continued since the introduction of the potato – the relation between the amount of population & of food is hence inverted. It would have been a case for the great Malthus to have reflected on".

Description and defence of his view of the tosca in Banda Oriental, along the Rio Uruguay and at the Rio Negro, taking issue with A. D. d’Orbigny. Refers to the pumice in the Patagonian Territory. Two tables show the layered tosca formation along the Uruguay.

Says Hooker does not want plant.