Summary

HWB’s concern over CD’s poor health.

Gives accounts of reviews of his book in the Times and in the Revue des Deux-Mondes by E.-D. Forgues ["Un naturaliste sous l’équateur", Rev. Deux-Mondes 46 (1863): 703–37].

Thanks CD for the A. Gray review of his paper [see 4022].

Reports his current work is a monograph on Mantidae.

Summary

Gratified by CD’s approval of paper which was also praised by Hooker and Wallace. Only cares for one other opinion, that of C. Felder of Vienna. He finds ordinary entomologists are not scientific men. Asks for more criticisms; desires to publish paper in a widely circulating journal to advertise his book.

Summary

Has found a frog with bivalve attached to hind leg.

Summary

Still working on book and has completed 620 out of 700 pages.

Rewrote memoir [on mimicry in Amazon Lepidoptera] for Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. [23 (1862): 495–566].

Edwin Brown, HWB’s earliest naturalist friend, will have a hard time classifying Carabi as he is unable to travel.

Summary

Asks correspondent to suspend an enclosed certificate.

Summary

Discusses the mimicry of the Volucella flies, and the bees and wasps they mimic. Compares it with the different object of mimicry in butterflies.

Refers to incompleteness of Cuthbert Collingwood’s paper [? "On homophormism, or organic representative forms", Proc. Liverpool Lit. & Philos. Soc. 14 (1860): 181–216].

Thanks CD for help in selecting a publisher for his book [The naturalist on the river Amazons (1863)].

Summary

Miocene glacial period a remarkable discovery; if it is true, enlargement of Tertiary period necessary.

Received German monograph on Chilean Carabi that does not answer where isolated species came from.

HWB finds genital modifications of Chrysomela strong support for the theory.

Thanks for copy of Orchids.

Summary

Sending the membership certificate for Francis Maitland Balfour.

Summary

Sending a Royal Society certificate of candidacy for his son Francis.

Summary

Has identified the shell, now separated from the beetle. Sends both to CD.

Summary

Sends further details about the beetle and mussel sent to CD.

Summary

Sends CD ch. 2 of his book [The naturalist on the river Amazons] for suggestions, having accepted CD’s recommendations concerning ch. 1.

Effects of climate on dress in ch. 1 similar to, but independent of, notions expressed by CD in his Journal of researches [p. 381].

On geology, book deals with distribution and theory of deltas of the Amazon.

Summary

Thinks there is no particular interest in the abnormality in question.

Also CD has looked at several flowers and believes WDC may be mistaken in believing there is a rudimentary anther cell.

Summary

Will not be able to attend the proposed conference and feels no benefit will arise from it.

Summary

Regrets that he cannot write the requested journal article on comparative anatomy.

Summary

Furnishes CD with more information on Volucella and gives him references relating to this and butterfly colourings. States that colours are not necessarily related to resting-places but rather an endowment to enable them to withstand adverse conditions.

Summary

Expresses hope that CD is ready to pronounce sentence on his book;

he relates his financial position and mentions that he hopes to get a position at the British Museum.

Summary

Has not the strength to discuss WTG’s letter, and points out that every organism develops from a single cell.

Does not wish to see the Book WTG offered.

Summary

Believes the conference will be of no value because individuals can only decide for themselves on the truths of science and religion.