Dear and honoured Sir!

I feel very much indebted to you for having sent me a copy of your new book.¹ Of course I have not as yet read it, but a peep into it has shown me what I could not expect otherwise, that it is again of very great value for science. When I have read it, I shall perhaps write to you about one or the other point. I am very sorry, that the last summer has been here so unfavourable for the experiments I intended to make with flowers, that I have nothing worth to be communicated to you. As you advized me to repeat my former experiments in crossing different coloured varieties of Zea Mais, I tried it last summer, but without the wished success: for in the most cases the pollen of the read variety did not fertilize the flowers of the yellow variety, and when this was the case the fruits of the yellow variety did not show any influence of the red.² I remember, that Professor Koernike in Bonn has made these experiments in the last time with better success; and perhaps you have heard about it in the meantime from himself; surely he will write to you about it, if you will ask him.³

Perhaps you will be so kind as to give my thanks to Mr. Francis Darwin for sending me his writings about Drosera etc. I have repeated last summer some of your experiments with the same success. Young plants of Drosophyllum I found covered with a large quantity of insects, though the plants were cultivated in an almost always shut greenhouse.⁴

Repeating my thanks for your kindness I remain | dear Sir | yours respectfully | Hildebrand