The collection is primarily professional letters written to Francis Russell, but there are also a few letters from his wife and a few by him. There is also an autobiographical letter written by Russell. Most of the correspondence pertains to the Royal Meteorological Society, snow crystals, dew, frost, hail, fog, etc. Russell had wide-ranging interests, however, and some of his non-scientific concerns appear in the letters. Others that can be found include Richard Owen, William T. Thiselton-Dyer, John Tyndall and Alfred Russell Wallace.