Summary

Sends comments on Lythrum.

Summary

Wants WED to forward dried Malaxis to G. C. Oxenden.

Has been dissecting Viola flowers.

[Letter from Emma Darwin to WED, verso p. 3.]

Summary

Relates death of H. G. Bronn.

Discusses publication of German edition of Orchids [1862].

Summary

J. C. Wickham, B. J. Sulivan, and Arthur Mellersh visited a fortnight ago.

Oldest son [William] now a banker.

Sends photograph.

Health too bad to see anyone at present. Rarely sees FitzRoy.

Summary

Thanks WED for eyeglass.

Reports on health of Horace and family matters.

Has finished Orchids.

Summary

Discusses his new microscope.

Summary

Effect on seed production of differences in distance between Lythrum plants.

Summary

Encloses answers and corrections [concerning Orchids]. Thanks HGB for translating it.

Summary

Sends Asa Gray letter: "nearly as mad as ever in our English eyes".

Bates’s paper is admirable. The act of segregation of varieties into species was never so plainly brought forth.

CD is a little sorry that his present work is leading him to believe rather more in the direct action of physical conditions. Regrets it because it lessens the glory of natural selection and is so confoundedly doubtful.

JDH laid too much stress on importance of crossing with respect to origin of species; but certainly it is important in keeping forms stable.

If only Owen could be excluded from Council of Royal Society Falconer would be good to put in. CD must come down to London to see what he can do.

Falconer’s article in Journal of the Geological Society [18 (1862): 348–69] shows him coming round on permanence of species, but he does not like natural selection.

Sends Lythrum salicaria diagram.

Summary

Reports some observations on the fertilisation of wheat which WED might follow up.

Summary

Rolle has done great service by publishing his book [Ch. Darwin’s Lehre von der Entstehung der Arten (1863)].

Summary

Asks WED to make some observations on differences in pods of Lythrum.

Summary

Discusses WED’s growing interest in botany; would be grateful for certain observations.

Is much concerned about Horace’s illness.

Has sent Orchids MS to printers

and will work a little at dimorphism.

Summary

Cannot aid TWW with respect to bees from East Indies. Suggests he write to Edward Blyth.

Thanks him for getting query on variation in bees circulated in Germany.

Summary

Discusses whether or not "male" Acropera bear fruit. JS’s interpretation of Acropera pollination is ingenious. Pollen-tubes of some cleistogamous flowers germinate in the anthers.

Summary

Praises JS’s experimenting.

Has he ever studied the relative fertility of varieties? CD very interested in this subject.

Discusses Acropera.

Wants to quote JS on Zea [Variation 1: 321].

CD sends his Primula paper [Collected papers 2: 45–63].

Summary

J. P. Thom [of Home News] must change his position because of his health. Asks if CD can help find him a new situation.

Summary

JS should be proud of his paper ["Nature of the fern-spore", Edinburgh New. Philos. J. 2d ser. 16 (1862): 209–27].

CD has just found that JS’s observations on the confluence of two sexes causing variability were independently confirmed by Huxley.

CD has always suspected a fundamental difference between buds and ovules.

Asks for examples of "bud-variation" or "sports".

Asks JS to test germination of pollen on rostellum of Laelia.

Offers JS money for experimental supplies, e.g., netting, to keep insects out of flowers.

Encloses an outline of crossing experiments with Lythraceae, Primula, Pelargonium, and others, which he feels would be valuable.

Note on melastomids.

Summary

Sends observations on Valeriana officinalis.

Summary

Thanks correspondent for his excellent review [of French edition of Origin (1862)], which he feels will help the spread of his views in France.