Summary

Will send an Arethusa; offers other specimens.

Dimorphism.

Falconer contradicts Sumatra and Ceylon elephant story.

Lyell as rabid as ever about America.

Summary

JDH castigates the Americans after the Trent affair. The value of an aristocracy. How will CD answer Asa Gray’s letter?

His "remarkable plant" [Welwitschia mirabilis] exhibited at Linnean Society.

Genera plantarum is in press.

Summary

The Witness attacks THH’s lecture.

Assures CD he spoke more favourably of his doctrines than the reports show.

Agrees with CD’s arguments on sterility of hybrids and predicts physiological experiments will produce physiological species sterile inter se. Has come even closer to CD’s view especially since Primula paper. Will soon be more Darwinian than CD.

Summary

Discusses Stellaria and other plants said to be dimorphic.

Asks for plants he wants for experiments.

Preparing a little book on Orchids.

Summary

He will send CD one of his sketches to add to the two CD has kept since Beagle days.

Asks for FitzRoy’s address.

Summary

Has received a satisfactory answer from Lord Tankerville.

Summary

Seeks to define oldest fossil cirripede.

Summary

Will enclose list of orchids in bloom for CD’s use.

Asks for photograph; her pleasure in knowing CD.

Most interested in the account of pigeons in CD’s book [Origin].

Summary

Much amused at the Witness.

Pleased at what THH says on hybridity.

Odd that objectors never allude to the arguments that alone have weight in their favour – affinities, rudimentary organs, etc.

Has 16 ill in the house!

Natural History Review a capital number.

Summary

Dimorphism: "new cases are tumbling in almost daily".

U. S. politics.

Summary

Thanks for orchids and other flowers.

Will send photograph.

Summary

Sends proof-sheets of CD’s contribution to LJ’s Memoir of Henslow.

Summary

Reports that the orchids Myanthus and Catasetum are identical.

Summary

Thanks for promise of photograph.

Has no melastomads in bloom.

Describes sensitive anthers of Cynorchis.

Thanks CD for "your little pamphlet".

Summary

Has had 16 in the household ill.

Wants to meet JL.

Praises JL’s paper ["Ancient lake-habitations of Switzerland", Nat. Hist. Rev. n.s. 2 (1862): 26–51].

Summary

CD has sent to printer proofs of his contribution to Memoir of Henslow.

Summary

His answer to Asa Gray.

On JDH’s view of aristocracy. Primogeniture is dreadfully opposed to selection.

Orchid book proofs ready soon – has no idea whether it is worth publishing.

Huxley on Owen.

Feeble letter from J. H. Balfour against Huxley’s lectures ["Relation of man to lower animals", pt 2 of Man’s place in nature (1863)].

Has received the "astounding" Angraecum sesquipedale with nectary 1ft long: "what insect could suck it?"

Summary

Thanks CD for returned MS and letter with its good opinion. Asks CD to write to Murray.

Summary

Grateful for CD’s approval of "Lake-habitations".

Summary

H. W. Bates is, at CD’s urging, writing a book of travel and natural history. CD suggests JM might be interested in publishing it. Recommends HWB and his MS highly.