Summary

Describes the floral structure of broom, particularly the form of the varying anthers. Encloses drawings of anthers and pollen.

Summary

Wants to publish his observation on colour changes in Matthiola seeds.

Has been crossing cotton.

Approves of C. V. Naudin and Max Wichura.

Summary

Ovules of males of two forms [of Rhamnus catharticus?] are abortive and both females have incomplete stamens.

Summary

Gives CD some references to papers.

Reports improvement in his wife’s health.

Summary

Lyell calculates enviously that CD can do more work than any of the philosophers.

Summary

Has a small living at Norton Canon.

Will visit Charles Whitley next week.

Summary

Comments on CD’s health.

Discusses origin of life and differentiation of principal classes of plants and animals.

Discusses Generelle Morphologie and its chapter on embryological development.

His lectures on CD’s theory.

Asks CD for larger portrait of himself and for several copies of the small photograph. Will send photographs of German scientists in exchange.

Summary

Has made observations on bees’ cells. Their dimensions are not constant, nor do single bees make single cells; each one is a result of co-operation.

Summary

Gives CD reference to case of the saiga, an antelope, fearless of man.

Reports observations by New Zealander who has seen heaps of pebbles presumably voided by Dinornis.

Summary

Is in a mess with his correspondence and will get no assistance before 1 April.

Has agreed to give an address on the Darwinian theory at Nottingham [meeting of BAAS].

Summary

Thanks for the remittance.

Both WBT and Mr Zurhorst will repeat Zurhorst’s experiment to eliminate any chance of error.

Edward Blyth is writing on Indian cattle for the Field [27 (1866): 55–6, 77].

Summary

Discusses pigeon and poultry woodcuts [for Variation].

WBT’s poultry book is at last in the hands of a solvent publisher [The poultry book (1867)].

Summary

Sorrow about Mrs Langton. Has been haunted by death these six or eight years. Now cannot bear to look at children asleep in bed – a sight he once thought the loveliest thing in creation.

Summary

Discusses exchange of photographs with German scientists.

Comments on attitudes of German scientists toward CD’s theory.

Names several scientists who exchanged photographs: Braun, Virchow, Leydig, and Dohrn.

Summary

Last fascicles of FR’s book Der Mensch [1866] being sent.

Finds roots of human race in Negroes of Africa, Bushmen of South Africa and New Guinea, and short-headed peoples of south Asia.

Has translated natural selection as natürliche Auslese.

Ludwig Rütimeyer active in developing the descent of mammals.

Summary

Sends a paper on Bombus ["On the habits of some species of humble-bees", Commun. Essex Inst. 4 (1866): 98–104].

Summary

Is seeking election to the Royal Society.

Summary

Asks CD whether he knows of a medicine to check vomiting – for a friend dying from starvation as a result.

Duke of Somerset is looking for two naturalists for survey ship to Korea and Strait of Magellan.

Summary

Looks forward to reading Variation.

Explains how two or more female forms occur in one species through selection. The physiological problem remains of how each produces offspring like the other without intermediates. Is not CD’s case of varieties that will not blend the physiological test of a species needed for "complete proof of the origin of species"?

"Travels" postponed.

Summary

Thanks CD for supporting his application to the Royal Society.