Will find out identity of Robert Trail.

Offers to send Benoît de Maillet’s Telliamed [1750].

Encloses a letter [16 May 1867] from John Anderson, a nurseryman, giving information on budding of blotched ash at the nursery.

Has crossed pods of Arabis blepharophylla larger than normal ones.

Sends Telliamed as gift.

Details of Arabis crosses. Seed-pods of A. blepharophylla and A. soyeri crosses are longer and wider than those of either species.

Will send proto-Lamarckian pamphlet [1799] by Charles White, if CD wishes. It has a graduated scale of types from snipe to man.

Writing article on Chillingham Park and its wild cattle; requests information on CD’s observations on their character and original breed. Was referred to CD by Lord and Lady Tankerville.

Thanks CD for showing her proofs [of Variation] relating to cattle at Chillingham Park [see Variation 1: 81, 83–4]; has made abstracts of them for her own article.

Replies to Queries on expression based on observations of the Kaffir and Fingoe tribes in South Africa.

On the summer, or breeding, plumage of birds.

Sexual ornamentation of insects: coloration of Epicalia genus [of tropical S. American butterflies];

horned genera of lamellicorn beetles [see Descent 1: 370, 388].

Wallace brought CD’s question about gay-coloured caterpillars before the Entomological Society. Members now seeking explanations.

Working on sexual differences in collection of horned beetles and will send CD results.

Answers CD’s questions [sent on behalf of Miss Tollet of Betley Hall, Staffs.] on mimicry – how it helps prevent extinction, the modifications occurring with a change of habitat until mimicry occurred.

Also gives some cases of sexual differences.

Thanks CD for Lythrum paper [Collected papers 2: 106–31] and "Climbing plants" sent to Manchester Ladies’ Literary Society. Comments on Lythrum.

MS essay "On esculent fruits" [apparently enclosed in a missing letter].

CD’s sudden temporary failure of memory and his eczema are not serious and would be relieved by rest and good diet.

Encloses memorandum on Origin [1866]

discussing mimicry in mammals and birds,

abnormal habits shown by birds,

behaviour of cuckoos,

and analogies existing between mammals of the same geographical region.

Speculates on possible lines of development linking groups of mammals.

[CD’s notes on the verso of the letter are for his reply.]

Discusses sexual and seasonal differences in the plumage of birds and coats of mammals.

Remarks upon variations in the form of the canine tooth between the sexes in mammalian groups.

Plumage of allied species of plover.

Asks CD’s help with work on unimproved domestic animals.

Sexual differences in bird species and seasonal variation in plumage.

Discussion of origin of domestic sheep races. Some comments on the yak and the wild ancestors of the llama and alpaca.

Encloses letter written a week ago. Letter and enclosure speculate on origins of human races in relation to geological and political changes, according to a theory of progressive development.

Was sorry CD wrote so little on man in Origin.

Sends ten different forms of Draba and Jordan’s instructions on when to sow seeds.

Reports sterility of a cross of two varieties of Papaver.

Thanks CD for a memoir.