Summary

Last chapter of Orchids opens up a "knotty sort of question about accident or design".

Changes in orchid flowers as they age.

Thinks CD may find trimorphism in Nesaea verticillata.

Summary

Sends orchids from W. H. Gower.

Summary

Distinguishes two kinds of floral dimorphism: that affecting sexual organs and that affecting outer envelopes.

Summary

Thanks for the book [Orchids].

Found thousands of Ophrys aranifera plants.

Summary

Cares more for dimorphism now than for orchids. Today saw the three forms of Lythrum, which means there should be 18 different practicable crosses.

Summary

Describes floral anatomy of a Catasetum sent by DO.

Has gone on from orchids to studying insect agency in Pelargonium.

His doubts on the worth of publishing Orchids.

Summary

Exciting work on trimorphism in Lythrum salicaria. Requests Lythraceae from Kew.

Wants to know of plants other than Melastoma and Lythrum with coloured pollen.

Summary

Sends musk orchid.

Summary

On Vanilla.

Asks JDH to observe whether he has both long- and short-styled form of Menyanthes

and whether he has "Saxifrages with long hairs glandular at the tip".

The Linnean Society session made him vomit all night. Fears he must give up trying to read papers or speak. "It is a horrid bore. I can do nothing like other people."

Summary

Sends CD a specimen of the domestic pigeon of China.

Discusses a race of ducks he believes are hybrids between the Muscovy and Chinese domestic duck.

Summary

Glad AG will publish some separate notes on orchids ["Fertilization of orchids through the agency of insects", Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 34 (1862): 420–9].

Trimorphism in Lythrum.

Bee behaviour.

Summary

Sends CD a quotation from Plato which anticipates the Origin.

Has been enjoying CD’s paper on dimorphism in the Journal of the Linnean Society ["Two forms of Primula", Collected papers 2: 45–63]. He has found similar structures [see Forms of flowers, pp. 116, 122].

Summary

Examined Epilobium 20 or 30 years ago at Shrewsbury. In a flash remembered it as dimorphic, but had forgotten its name.

Summary

Gives some observations on changes in pistil position with age in Monochaetum. Asks whether AG can observe Rhexia for similar movements.

"One of the best men, though at present unknown", H. W. Bates, has taken up natural selection.

Summary

Masdevallia turns out to be nothing wonderful, "I was merely stupid about it."

Asks for plants for experiments.

Hedysarum and Oxalis sensitiva seeds.

Asks whether Oliver knows of experiments on absorption of poisons by roots.

CD finds he cannot publish this year on Lythrum salicaria; he must make 126 additional crosses!

Asks for odd variations of common potato; he wants to grow a few plants of every variety.

Variation is crawling.

Has had some bad attacks lately.

Summary

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

Asks if CD has observed the true oxlip (Primula elatior).

Comments on Hottonia and Stellaria graminea. [See Forms of flowers, pp. 72, 313.]

Summary

Wrote a "frightful screed" about aristocracy’s being a necessary consequence of natural selection, and then burnt it.

H. W. Bates is the only man "thinking out" natural selection to any purpose. "I think I have driven Bates back to Nat. Sel. as the only way of solving his difficulties."

HWB’s mimetic butterflies.

JDH wishes he had time to do the same thing with plants.

Owen and Huxley involved in a "contemptible" squabble in the Edinburgh newspapers.

Maximovitch reports Stellaria bulbifera is a Siberian form which never ripens its seeds.

Summary

Discusses Stellaria and other plants said to be dimorphic.

Asks for plants he wants for experiments.

Preparing a little book on Orchids.

Summary

Comments on presentation copy of Orchids. Has CD studied the orchid Sobralia?

Cannot get material for hollyhock experiment.

Sends his notes on Primula sinensis.

He is experimenting on Ranunculus.

Summary

Believes Lythrum is trimorphic. Asks AG for seeds of plants he suspects are polymorphic.