Summary

Leonard has scarlet fever; CD is sorry WED is unwell.

Summary

CD orders electrotypes for German edition of Orchids.

Asa Gray doubts an American publication is possible but will review it in Sillimans Journal.

[British] botanists have praised it. Other reviews.

Summary

Refers to his Primula paper [Collected papers 2: 45–63]. Asks GHKT to investigate a similar case in Cinchona.

Summary

Is pleased that AdeC is interested in the Primula case ["Dimorphic condition of Primula", Collected papers 2: 45–63]. Is pursuing analogous experiments on other plants and on seedlings raised from the unions.

CD’s "large work" progresses slowly owing to ill health and his work on Orchids.

CD is not surprised that AdeC is unwilling to admit natural selection – "the subject hardly admits of direct proof or evidence. It will be believed in only by those who think that it connects & partly explains several large classes of facts".

Hopes AdeC will publish on Quercus

and rejoices that he intends to return to the study of geographical distribution. No one can claim to have read AdeC’s truly great work on that subject [Géographie botanique (1855)] with more care than CD.

Summary

Superb, but exaggerated, review [of Orchids, by M. J. Berkeley] in London Review [& wkly J. Polit. 4 (1862): 553–4]. Asa Gray thinks almost as highly. "I have not been a fool, as I thought I was, to publish." The Athenæum review will hinder sales greatly.

Summary

Asks experienced observers whether there are any marked differences between bees kept in different parts of Germany.

Summary

Testimonial in support of WBT’s application for curatorship of the Hartley Institution.

Summary

Asks for information concerning heterostyled and dioecious plants.

Summary

It is not certain cuts are wanted by an American publisher [of Orchids].

Has fixed price of £10 for Schweizerbart [Stuttgart publisher].

Summary

His friend Trenham Reeks [Secretary of Museum of Practical Geology] would give Carlyle information and help. This note will serve as introduction.

Summary

Has been ill (violent skin inflammation).

Has done hardly anything except tend to his experiments. Repeating Primula work has verified former results and very curious facts on sterility of homomorphic seedlings.

Wonders who reviewed Orchids for London Review & Wkly J. Polit..

Asa Gray also infatuated with Orchids.

Summary

"I have received a letter from Dr. Asa Gray this morning who says ""pray ask Mr. Trubner to send at once 1/2 dozen copies of the Orchid book"". Will you be so good as to attend to it."

Summary

Orders paper suitable for drying plants.

Summary

Remembers JDH’s encouragement when he was "utterly weary of life".

Marvellous about European forms in Fernando Po.

C. V. Naudin will publish a book on hybridity ["Nouvelles recherches sur l’hybridité dans les végétaux", Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris 1 (1865): 25–176; part also in Ann. Sci. Nat. (Bot.) (1863)].

CD fears Naudin has underestimated distribution of pollen by insects.

Melastomatous plants are ready for his work on meaning of two sets of anthers.

Very curious about Masdevallia.

George [Darwin] observing orchids.

Adaptation of Herminium beats almost every other orchid.

Summary

Encloses answers and corrections [concerning Orchids]. Thanks HGB for translating it.

Summary

Discusses dimorphic plants, valerian and Erythraea. Would like to look at them; suggests WED draw up a paper on them.

Summary

Apologises for the trouble he has caused over his enquiries about strawberries. Describes the problems he and Emma have had with Verbascum.

Summary

Thanks for notes on Cypripedium and Platanthera hookeri, which is really beautiful and quite a new case.

His son, George, has been observing the insect fertilisation of orchids.

CD has been crossing peloric flowers of Pelargonium, but doubts he will get good results with respect to sterility of hybrids.

Rhexia glandulosa does not appear to be dimorphic. Lythrum is trimorphic.

Summary

Thinks GM’s Pelargonium is a case of true correlated characters. Feels secondary sexual characters are only accidental correlations; does not see the same necessity for close simultaneous development of certain characters as GM does.

Will forward a copy of his Orchids.

Summary

Can AdeQ verify the statement that the moths of the several races of the common silkworm are very similar?

When the female moth comes out of the cocoon, are her wings less developed than those of a male moth at the same stage?