My dear Sir!

Herewith I send you a copy of my book on the fertilisation of flowers by insects.¹

Supposing that the matter treated in this book will be of some interest for you, I hope you will look over by leisure at least the first and the last section of it and besides read perhaps the treatise on the one or the other single flower.

My book concerning nearly in the same degree entomological and botanical objects it is to be feared that neither botanists nor entomologists will value duly the contents of it and that thereby my aim to incite as well botanists as entomologists, to take notice of the mutual adaptations of flowers and insects, will be thoroughly disappointed. Therefore it would be of decisive importance for the spreading and for the effects of my book, if you would publish your complete judgement of it.²

My endeavours to inquire after the migrations of the males of humble-bees during the last summer were perfectly frustrated by the extraordinary rarity of humble-bees in our country, apparently caused by a terrible number of field-mice.³

But during the next summer I hope to pursue this objects with better results.

I remain, my dear Sir | yours very sincerely | H. Müller.

Charles Darwin Esq. | Down, Beckenham | Kent.