Summary

Structure of Scaevola and its fertilisation with insect aid.

Fertilisation of Aristolochia.

FM’s paper on climbing plants [see 5146].

Is preparing new edition of Origin.

Summary

Comments on JDH’s list – very good, but Orchids and Primula paper have too indirect a bearing to be worth mentioning. The Eozoon is a very important fact and to a much lesser degree the Archaeopteryx. Müller’s Für Darwin [1864] perhaps the most important contribution.

CD has forgotten to mention Bates on variation and JDH’s Arctic paper ["Distribution of Arctic plants", Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 23 (1862): 251–348] in new edition of Origin.

Now finds that Owen claims to be originator of natural selection.

Summary

He is not grieved at CD’s omissions of his [JDH’s] work [from Origin, 4th ed.]. It proves nothing – claims only to be illustration of using CD’s methods.

Summary

JVC proposes to correct Bronn’s mistakes [in his translation of Origin], but will not add his own notes.

Asks CD to write a note on Nägeli’s pamphlet [Entstehung und Begriff] for the revised edition.

Also requests biographical information for an encyclopedia article he has been asked to write.

Summary

In response to a letter from RS’s father [translation enclosed] Schweizerbart has suggested H. B. Geinitz revise Bronn’s edition of the Origin, but RS doubts he is suitable.

Summary

Is seeking election to the Royal Society.

Summary

JVC has been asked by Schweizerbart [CD’s German publisher] to revise H. G. Bronn’s translation of Origin, and he will be pleased to try to do it.

Asks CD’s advice on what to do about Bronn’s notes and concluding chapter, with which JVC disagrees. Would CD agree to omission?

Summary

Expresses gratification that JVC is to undertake new translation and revision of German edition of the Origin.

Has heard many complaints about Bronn’s translation. JVC would be justified in omitting Bronn’s appendix.

Suggests additions and changes, including reference to C. W. v. Nägeli’s Entstehung und Begriff [1865], though he disagrees with it.

Summary

Is obliged to receive FH’s papers. The cases of Lopezia and Schizanthus are new to him.

In 1860 CD watched Bombus lapidarius sucking the flowers of Pedicularis sylvatica and saw what FH has described.

Has not yet read the paper on Salvia.

Summary

Obliged for JW’s information on variability of size of bees’ cells. Hexagonal cells not always work of several insects. W. H. Miller found great variability in thickness of cell walls.

Summary

B. J. Sulivan offers fossil leaves from Eocene beds at Bournemouth to CD or JDH. Does JDH want them, or should they go to Oswald Heer?

Has written to Athenæum [see 5308] about publishers cutting pages of their books.

Summary

Has not seen K. E. von Baer’s paper ["Über Papuas und Alfuren", Mem. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.-Pétersbourg (Sci. Nat.) 8 (1859): 269–346], but has read extract.

Knew of case of hairy and toothless family through John Crawfurd, Journal of an embassy from the Governor-General of India [2d ed. (1834)].

Working on causes of variability.

Summary

ARW’s simple explanation of dimorphic forms is satisfactory.

On "non-blending" of certain varieties, CD thinks ARW has not understood him. He does not refer to fertility. He crossed two differently coloured varieties of peas and "got both varieties perfect, but none intermediate". Something like this must occur in ARW’s butterflies.

Summary

Is attempting to sum up the two theories impartially and must raise all the difficulties with each. More on his differences with CD.

Summary

Gustav von Leonhard and Hans Bruno Geinitz’s Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paläontologie [1862–79] unfriendly to CD’s theory.

Lists various German publications dealing with CD’s theory.

Summary

Discussion of Mrs Agassiz’s letter [to Mary Lyell, forwarded to CD] regarding S. American glacial action,

with comments on Bunbury’s letter on temperate plants.

Refers to opinions of Agassiz, David Forbes, Hooker, and CD on glacial period and glaciers.

Wishes he had published a long chapter on glacial period [Natural selection, pp. 535–66] written ten years ago.

Tells of death of his sister, Catherine, and other family matters.

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

Encloses a sketch of the principal events in his life [for RH’s memoir on CD in Walford, ed., Portraits of men of eminence (1863–7)].

Summary

Has heard from B. J. Sulivan about the fossils at Gallegos, Patagonia. Would be a great haul for palaeontology if Duke of Somerset would encourage Capt. Mayne to collect them [on survey of Magellan Strait].

Tells JDH of a new map of world that he might use in his lecture [on "Insular floras", BAAS, 1866, J. Bot. Br. & Foreign 5 (1867): 23–31; Gard. Chron. (1867): 6, 27, 50, 75].

Impressed by H. Spencer’s last number, but each suggestion would require years of work to be of use to science.

Summary

Asks [Secretary] to list the proper titles of foreign societies of which he is an honorary member; he has mislaid diplomas.