Dear Sir

Your account of the ants and their relations seems to me to possess extraordinary interest. I do not doubt that the excretion of sweet fluid by the glands is in your cases of great advantage to the plants by means of the ants, but I cannot avoid believing that primordially it is a simple excretion, as occasionally occurs from the surface of the leaves of lime trees.² It is quite possible that the primordial excretion may have been beneficially increased to serve the plant. In the common Laurel (Prunus Lauro-Cerasus) of our gardens the Hive-bees visit incessantly the glands of the young leaves, on their under sides;³ and I should altogether doubt whether their visits or the occasional visits of ants was of any service to the Laurel. The stipules of the common Vetch secrete largely during sun-shine and Hive-bees collect the sweet fluid. So I think it is with the common Bean.⁴ I am writing this away from home, and I have come away to get some rest, having been a good deal overworked.⁵ I shall read your book with great interest when published, but will not trouble you to send the MS. as I really have no spare strength or time.⁶ I believe that your book, judging by the Chapter sent, will be extremely valuable, &

I remain | Dear Sir | Yours very faithfully | Ch. Darwin.