JDH acknowledges Sir William Thiselton-Dyers congratulations on his 'Swedish award' [Commemorative Gold Medal presented by the Regia Academia Scientiarum Suecica, Uppsala for the Linnean Bicentenary]. Some correspondence from Sir Edward Grey transmitted with the medal may be published in the BULLETIN OF MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW. JDH goes on to mention those who will be attending his birthday celebration: a deputation from the B.S. [Botanical Society of London?], his granddaughter Frances Harriet Thiselton-Dyer, Harrinay[?], his children Grace Ellen Hooker & William Henslow Hooker & his cousin; botanical artist Matilda Smith. Hopefully RBG Kew Director David Prain will also attend. They will miss Harriet Thiselton-Dyer's company. JDH fears his wife Lady Hyacinth Hooker may be too unwell for the gathering as she suffers with gout. JDH has heard from George King that he is still unwell & going from Wales to stay with his friend [David Douglas] Cunningham in Torquay. JDH reports that Sir Richard Strachey has 'come down in the world' & been forced to sell his house in Lancaster Gate & retire to Hampstead, JDH is very sad for his old, infirm friend.

No summary available.

JDH communicates his approval of Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer's article in NATURE. He considers the 'most remarkable instance of a changed form' to be the cut-leaved bramble [blackberry] which he has observed in his own garden. He also thinks it would be interesting to study variation & mutation in Japanese Maples. JDH is suffering with bad eczema but continuing his work dissecting & sketching Balsams. He observes that they are numerous & very location specific with no species overlap between India, China & Tibet. JDH has borrowed some Balsam specimens from Leveille at Les Man herbarium, they are all different from those in the Kew & Paris herbariums but are hard to work with having been badly dries.