My dear old friend.

I cordially thank you for your two letters; & for your answers to all my questions. Leschenaultia seems very odd:² I will try with pollen left on for 48 hours; for I I am sure I could trace the tubes for some way. It seems to me very curious that anthers should shed the pollen, & then the indusium collect it, ultimately to be removed again & placed on stigma. It is a good illustration of a point which I discuss & endeavour to explain in the orchid-book, namely the diversity of structure, acquired by successive modifications, for same purpose.³ You have pleased me much by what you say in regard to Bentham & Oliver approving of my book;⁴ for I had got a sort of nervousness & doubted whether I had not made an egregious fool of myself, & concocted pleasant little stinging remarks for Reviews,—such as “M^r Darwin’s head seems to have been turned by a certain degree of success, & he thinks that the most trifling observations are worth publication” &c &c &c &c.—

You say that you have no Goodeniaceæ;⁵ I suppose this refers to having none to dissect; or did you think that I asked for them? It is any Melastomatads, going into flower & which would stand my greenhouse for a short period, which I am so anxious to experiment on, & which I feel nearly sure will give important results.—⁶ I fear it will be no satisfaction to you, but upon my soul, I do feel deeply guilty at the degree to which I trouble you; & you never in all your life have given me a rebuf. Now mind do not answer on purpose, but at some time tell me what the enclosed Sikkim R[h]od. is;— it has a reflexed pistil like R. Boothii & secretes nectar within the stamens all round the germen!⁷ R. Dalhousianum secretes nectar on lower side of flower; so that I do not fear the usual law will hold with respect to bending of pistil & position of nectar.—

We heard from William this morning; he asked me, supposing that you asked him to Kew within a fortnight, whether he might put it off for a week or so, till another Sunday was convenient to you, & I told him that I was sure you would let him do so.—⁸

Emma sends her love to M^rs. Hooker & desires me to say that she quite forgot to thank M^rs. H. for a very nice photograph.—

Good Bye my dear old fellow | C. Darwin

P.S. Are you rich in Leschenaultia formosa   I sh^d. like to try whether the visid surface outside the indusium can be fertilised; that inside can be in this species be fertilised.—⁹

Many thanks for Saxifrages.—¹⁰