Summary

Thanks for "Climbing plants" and other papers [as requested in 5316].

Sends specimens of a variety of Primula not mentioned by CD [in Primula paper, Collected papers 2: 45–63?].

Summary

CD’s health has been poor.

Appreciates JBI’s letter and his expression of friendship.

In the opinion of a Q.C., Horsman has no case.

Summary

Glad Mrs Darwin likes his preface, but fears she will not like his tone on religion.

Summary

They have been having a very gay time. Tells of "Redcoats & Shootables" and several mutual friends.

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

JDH reports on the debate on the Origin at Oxford [BAAS] meeting.

Summary

Thanks CD for Lythrum paper [Collected papers 2: 106–31] and "Climbing plants" sent to Manchester Ladies’ Literary Society. Comments on Lythrum.

Summary

Sent rare cycad seeds for CD’s cotyledon study.

Welwitschia seed germinated at Kew had ordinary cotyledons. JDH thinks mature Welwitschia leaves are original cotyledons.

Summary

Thanks for AG’s review of Forms of flowers [Am. J. Sci. 3d ser. 15 (1878): 67–73].

Thomas Carlyle’s letter about CD was a forgery.

Gives Hermann Müller’s observations on Valeriana dioica.

Is unsure about function of "bloom"; are glaucous plants more or less common in arid parts of U. S.?

Observations on heliotropism.

Thomas Meehan reports that Linum perenne is self-fertile; CD thinks that he has mistaken the species.

Summary

Account of the fund to help Anton Dohrn’s zoological station at Naples.

Summary

Thanks JM for Quarterly Review. A. R. Wallace’s article inimitably good – and a triumph that it appears where it will make B[ishop] of O[xford] and Owen gnash their teeth.

Delighted at the sale of F. Müller’s book.

Thinks he has brought Origin up to "present standard of science" [5th ed. (June 1869)].

Slow progress on Descent.

His horse rolled over him, but he is recovering rapidly.

Summary

CD will not permit publication of his previous letter on vivisection.

Summary

Asks if he may publish CD’s reply to his previous letter.

Summary

Explains the point about gravitation and heat that CD does not understand in J. Croll’s letter [6218?].

Cambridge news.

Summary

Is writing his paper on orchids.

Is surprised that AG gets little or no response with Drosera.

Describes the two forms of Primula and asks whether AG knows any analogous cases of dimorphism.

Reports that John Stuart Mill approves of CD’s scientific method.

Discusses American politics.

Summary

In the past six months he has done much geology and natural history. His geological pursuits are a source of high pleasure. Has lately determined to work chiefly on corals.

Spent three weeks going up the Santa Cruz with a party; they ran out of provisions 20 miles from the Cordilleras. Winter at present prevents his doing much natural history.

Summary

A. J. Gaudry is one of few supporters of Darwinism in Paris.

The climate is so hostile that Kovalevsky must mitigate his views so as not to irritate the French.

Working on Anchitherium, which he believes is intermediate between Palaeotherium and the horse.

His brother-in-law has been arrested.

Summary

Is very grateful for the gift of a fender-stool. Will send her a copy of Insectivorous plants.

Summary

Comments on A. W. Bennett’s letter [Nature 1 (1869): 58] on fertilisation of winter-flowering plants. CD used net, not a bell-glass to cover Lamium.

Refers to F. Delpino’s observations on fertilisation of grasses; CD is glad to say these observations are compatible with "the very general law that distinct individual plants must be occasionally crossed".