Summary

Thanks for Asa Gray’s letter, enclosed.

Knew JDH would not care about omissions but was vexed at his own forgetfulness.

Summary

Thinks a new U. S. edition of Origin is needed.

Gives observations on the climbing habits of Bignonia capreolata.

Summary

A letter from Asa Gray informs CD that Ticknor & Fields will not publish a new edition of Origin to compete with Appleton’s unrevised edition. They recommend sending copies of the English edition for the American market.

Summary

Glad to see Asa Gray’s letter.

Asks whether he may insert a sentence about Cape Verde alpine plants in new edition [4th] of Origin.

Fears "twaddle" may also be the word for his two chapters on cultivated plants. Asks for Crawfurd’s paper.

Summary

Arrangements for woodcuts [in Variation]. Hopes to be ready to print early in 1867.

Encloses letter from Asa Gray [5160] about Appleton’s refusal to alter their plates for a new edition of Origin.

CD asks JM to consider Gray’s plan to have the English edition compete with the American.

Summary

Thanks for AG’s trouble about new edition of Origin.

Will be printing his new book [Variation] at the end of the year.

[Forwarded by AG, with covering note, to Mr Fields of Ticknor & Fields.]

Summary

L. Agassiz’s evidence [for glaciation of America] is very weak.

Thanks AG for arranging for American edition of Variation, but doubts that the book will be successful.

Has found no differences in pollen of Rhamnus so cannot conjecture whether it is dimorphic.

The common oxlip of England is certainly a hybrid between the primrose and the cowslip whereas Primula elatior is a good species.

Reports experiments on the relative vigour of seedlings from cross- and self-fertilised plants.

Summary

Does not think he can persuade American publishers to reprint [4th English ed. of] Origin in U. S. Suggests Murray supply copies of it and the new book [Variation] to the American market.

Summary

Appleton’s cannot alter their plates so as to reproduce revised work [Origin, 4th ed.]. Has made it clear that CD could not do otherwise than object strenuously to course they intend to pursue, and has asked them to return the sheets. Wishes CD’s publisher would supply U. S. market with large numbers of copies, as the English edition could well compete with any American one. Encloses [statement of sales of U. S. edition of Origin to 1 February 1866].

Summary

Disappointed to put off CL’s visit because of illness of CD’s sister [Susan], but hopes to see him in October.

Thanks for lending pamphlet [L. Agassiz, Geology of the Amazons]. Agassiz has written "wild nonsense".

Refers to a translation of Pictet and Humbert’s "capital" paper on fossil fish ["Recent researches on the fossil fishes of Mount Lebanon", Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 3d ser. 18 (1866): 237].

Hooker’s lecture at BAAS Nottingham meeting.

Summary

Hopes to make good arrangement for publication of CD’s Variation.

Agassiz claims to have proved all of America was covered with unbroken ice during the glacial period.

Summary

Fertilisation in orchids: Friedrich Hildebrand’s paper.

Self-sterility.

Climbing plants.

Agassiz’s attempts to eliminate all Darwinian views.

Summary

His memory deceived him about GB’s statement [on propagation of thistles].

Summary

AG’s second article on Climbing plants [Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 41 (1866): 125–30].

Fritz Müller’s observations on Rubiaceae.

New edition [4th] of Origin.

Summary

W. H. Harvey is dead. His loss to science.

Will get a copy of Crawfurd’s paper. It was such trash he tore his up.

His letter to Asa Gray was about his [JDH’s] proof that America will have an aristocracy from interbreeding of wealth, intellect, and beauty; and the lower classes, not having time for politics, will leave them to the aforementioned.

Summary

Proposes to delay issue [of 4th ed. of Origin] until November to obtain better market conditions. Now printing 1250 copies.

Explains practice of not cutting pages is due to propensity of English public to read books without buying them.

Summary

Refers to enclosure from Asa Gray

with whom he can talk calmly now that war is over. North had no right to resort to bloodshed.

Startled by CD’s attendance at Royal Society soirée.

Has asked E. B. Tylor to make up questions for consuls and missionaries, through whose wives a lot of most curious information [for Descent?] could be obtained.

Tying umbilical cord has always been a mystery to JDH.

John Crawfurd’s paper on cultivated plants is shocking twaddle ["On the migration of cultivated plants in reference to ethnology", J. Bot. Br. & Foreign 4 (1866): 317–32].

R. T. Lowe back from Madeira.

Summary

Sends flowers of buckthorn [Rhamnus catharticus] collected on Isle of Wight.

Summary

In response to CD’s request for bud-sports, he sends a piece of a fern-leaved beech.

Summary

Arranges for distribution of new [4th] English edition of Origin in the U. S.