Summary

Asks to borrow several Floras. Must redo calculations as John Lubbock has shown him an important error.

Summary

JDH’s last letter demolishes woolly alpine plant theory.

Correlation of apetalous flowers and cold climate.

Summary

Request for Floras of Pacific Islands and Greenland.

Individual variation.

Summary

JDH cites W. H. Harvey’s observations on Fucus and David Don’s on Juncus as examples of variations that are independent of climate. There are many such cases. Gives his working scheme for categorising variation.

Summary

Inquiries on effect of dry heat on temperate plants for glacial chapter.

Summary

Survey of species with well-marked varieties: JDH’s Labiatae case a "great blow", but result is very generally consistent.

Summary

Sending more Candolle volumes for survey of species with well-marked varieties.

Has begun his introduction [to Flora Tasmaniae]; will not make generalisations.

J. D. Dana’s pamphlet too metaphysical for JDH.

Summary

Rule that species vary most in larger genera seems universal.

Response to Gardeners’ Chronicle note on "Bees and kidney beans" [Collected papers 1: 275–7].

Summary

Some negative results in variety tabulation survey.

Galls on wild carrot.

Summary

Supports nomination of John Lindley for award of Royal Medal of the Royal Society.

Summary

Mrs Henslow’s death stirs reminiscences of happier days.

Summary

Finds CD’s results [of his survey of well-marked varieties from A. P. and Alphonse de Candolle’s Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis (1824–73)] "very curious and suggestive". Thinks the Labiatae will present an obstacle to him as it is a very large and distinct order with well-defined species and genera. Would like to see him tackle more volumes of Candolle’s Prodromus, as his case can only be established by evidence from mundane plants. CD should beware of generalising from local species variability. A comparison of C. C. Babington’s and G. Bentham’s [British] Floras [Babington Manual of British botany (1843, 4th ed., 1856); Bentham Handbook of British flora (1858)] would be invaluable. Suggests CD write to Ferdinand Müller and Charles Moore in Australia. Moisture favouring extension of species is important for CD’s view.

Summary

Six volumes of Candolle’s Prodromus confirm rule that small genera vary less than large. Labiatae an exception to rule.

Summary

Glad WED has begun under George Henslow in the way that he has. CD wishes he had had such practice under J. S. Henslow.

Has had luck in his search for striped horses.

Summary

CD finds Alphonse de Candolle very useful, though JDH has low opinion.

CD argues for accidental introductions explaining some odd distributions, e.g., New Zealand vs Australian plants.

CD’s method.

Diverging affinities in isolated genera.

Summary

Asks JL not to call as he has a "very old friend" [J. S. Henslow] coming to visit him.

Yesterday visited poultry show at Crystal Palace.

Summary

Royal Society medals.

Correlation of variability and abnormal development is G. R. Waterhouse’s law. Relation of this law to polymorphism.

Colouring and marks of ancestral horse deduced from facts observed in pigeons.

Summary

For his studies on fertility of crosses, asks GB to mark a list of pairs of Cucubalus as to whether they are varieties of the same species, or distinct species.

Summary

CD will advise Daniell not to apply for Royal Society grant.

CD’s experiment: fish fed seeds, which germinated when voided.

Summary

On Lubbock’s plans.

Visited by Antoine Auguste Laugel.

Guessed right on Bentham’s "Planchon".

Much struck by Thomson’s article on nomenclature [see 4812]; importance of this subject.

Sorry best scientists read so little; few read any long papers.