Summary

Discusses the practice of exogamy; asks if any animals have an instinctive repugnance to inbreeding.

Summary

Thanks for subscription.

Reports experiments with wheat.

Sends notes on producing varieties by pruning.

Summary

Sends CD a Cardigan Jacket, ‘one of the most delightful inventions of the age’.

Discusses the Duke of Argyll.

Summary

Will be glad to have seeds of plants and CD’s climbing plant, which he has no doubt is Siphocampylus.

Anxious about his baby [Reginald Hooker].

Summary

Has printed copies of CD’s queries [on expression] and will distribute them.

Summary

On Hottentot ideas of beauty in women; their preference for women with large posteriors. [See Descent 2: 345–6.]

Summary

Forwards some plant specimens to CD for his comments.

Summary

Thanks CD for information.

Summary

Answers CD’s queries about polygamous birds. Does not think appearance of cock makes any difference to female. Dyeing the male has no effect on female.

Summary

Working on sexual differences in collection of horned beetles and will send CD results.

Answers CD’s questions [sent on behalf of Miss Tollet of Betley Hall, Staffs.] on mimicry – how it helps prevent extinction, the modifications occurring with a change of habitat until mimicry occurred.

Also gives some cases of sexual differences.

Summary

Summarises his 12-page letter in which he responds to CD’s criticisms of his theory of ‘perfectibility’.

Summary

Baby’s situation hopeless.

E. Perceval Wright on way to Seychelles for collecting.

Summary

Finds that after 12 years among north-western Indians he can answer positively only one of CD’s queries about expression. They do blush from shame or anger.

Summary

Cites cases of difference in coloration between the sexes of some species of Crustacea, annelids, and spiders.

Discusses dimorphic plants and self-sterility.

Outlines some experiments involving the crossing of different species of orchids.

Encloses extract from Carl Claus, Die freilebenden Copepoden [1863].

Summary

Thanks for "Climbing plants" offprint and for references on fertilisation of flowers.

Considering the bounty of work already done, he is looking for something original to do.

Subularia does not grow in Westphalia.

Summary

Asks if he should give the clichés of Variation to E. Schweizerbart.

Summary

Begins to hope baby may survive; description of symptoms.

Summary

JVC is willing to translate [Variation], especially because of his conviction that progress of biology depends on proving CD’s theory.

Ernst Haeckel’s book [Generelle Morphologie (1866)] will do mischief because EH is so immoderate. Suggests CD tell EH that he has done him a bad service. CD is the only one to whom EH would listen.

Summary

Reports on an experiment in crossing potato varieties.

Summary

Arrangements for obtaining Carl Nägeli a set of British Hieracium specimens.