Summary

Sends Passiflora paper [see 4485].

Sends seeds of peloric Antirrhinum crossed by normal form and sends results of his experiments [table of crosses].

Summary

Asks DO to draw diagram of Lythrum on board at Linnean Society for reference during the reading of CD’s paper.

Summary

Sends £10 for Down charities.

Summary

CD has proved common oxlip to be a hybrid of cowslip and primrose.

Reviewing literature on climbing plants, CD finds he has much new material.

W. H. Harvey claims evidence of saltation in a dandelion.

Summary

CD very ill.

Suspects F. Boott’s widow is illegitimate granddaughter of Erasmus Darwin.

CD, like JDH, has speculated that agrarian weeds have become adapted to cultivated ground. Suggests comparison with country of origin.

Wallace’s praise of Herbert Spencer’s Social statics baffles CD.

[Letter completed by E. A. Darwin.]

Summary

Thanks CD for £25. Discusses preparations for trip to India.

Summary

Cannot give information about the box of Oxalis bulbs that his brother [Roland Trimen] has forwarded to CD.

Summary

Thanks CD for loan of £10.

Summary

CD’s support in JBJ’s controversy with Hugh Falconer is welcome. R. I. Murchison supports Falconer, and Lyell does not support their side strongly enough. Falconer and Jukes remain friends in private.

Summary

Sends 2d ed. of his Physical geology [1864]; hopes that he will burn the 1st because of its errors.

ACR is convinced he is right about denudation of the Weald.

Summary

Has left his position at Edinburgh Botanic Garden.

Summary

Has seen that ARW has read a paper to the Linnean Society.

Thinks that Herbert Spencer’s Social Statics (Spencer 1851) would be too deep for him.

Summary

Has found incipient stages of adhesive discs in Hanburia tendrils.

Huxley was probably right to have challenged Sabine, but the poor old man is sick.

CD remembers the old Disraeli novel [Tancred (1847)] that sneers at transmutation.

Summary

Is sure that any of CD’s friends would be proud to accept the medal on his behalf.

Summary

Thanks for his book [Physical geology and geography of Great Britain, 2d. ed. (1864)].

Pleased that ACR’s glacial lake theory is progressing. New Zealand lakes support the view. Suggests he write to Charles Gould in Tasmania, calling his attention to glacial action.

Summary

CD’s pleasure at JDH’s willingness to help Scott find a position in India.

Naudin underrates contamination of his experiments by insects. Thus CD doubts Naudin’s results on rapidity and universality of reversion in hybrids.

Wallace’s paper on man [see 4494] reflects his genius, although CD does not fully agree with it.

Summary

Sends a poem about sowing kidney beans.

Summary

Response to ARW’s papers on Papilionidae ["On the phenomena of variation and geographical distribution", Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 25 (1866): 1–71; abstract in Reader 3 (1864): 491–3],

and man ["The origin of human races", J. Anthropol. Soc. Lond. 2 (1864): clviii–clxxxvi].

The former is "really admirable" and will be influential.

The idea of the man paper is striking and new. Minor points of difference. Conjectures regarding racial differences; the possible correlation between complexion and constitution. His Query to Army surgeons to determine this point. Offers ARW his notes on man, which CD doubts he will be able to use.

On sexual selection in "our aristocracy"; primogeniture is a scheme for destroying natural selection.

[Letter incorrectly dated March by CD.]

Summary

JL’s article on Huxley’s "Lectures [to working men]".

Planning a volume of essays [Prehistoric times (1865)].

Summary

Sends specimens of two species of Aegiphila [see Forms of flowers, p. 123]. Discusses similar forms in other plants.