Most of the correspondence belongs to the last seven years of J B S Haldane’s life, following his retirement from his position as Professor of Biometry at London University, which he spent at the Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta (1957-1961), the Genetics and Research Unit of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (1961-1962), and the Genetics and Biometry Laboratory, Bhubaneswar, Orissa.

The correspondence consists chiefly of incoming letters with manuscript drafts or typescript copies of his replies. Several of the letters are accompanied by papers. Most of the letters concern his scientific work or that of his colleagues. Some are from private individuals seeking advice about their careers or other personal topics.