Summary

Thanks WWR for information in answer to his queries concerning expression.

Asks when horns first appear among a breed of sheep on the Guinea coast,

and for information about the gorilla and chimpanzee.

Asks about African ideas of beauty.

Summary

Variation to be published at end of month.

Dimorphism and self-sterility.

Seed dissemination in Adenanthera.

Summary

Self-sterility in orchids.

Growth differences in plants raised from self- and cross-fertilised seed.

Summary

Discusses dimorphism in plants, especially the Rubiaceae.

Gives observations on orchids; notes varying degrees of self-sterility and a varying success at crossing distinct species.

Mentions local ferns he is collecting

and considers the phenomenon of apparently mimetic plants.

Summary

Queries about expressions in crying monkeys.

Has received letter from Hermann Müller on orchid fertilisation.

Summary

Thanks for facts on orchids.

Friedrich Hildebrand’s new book on fertilisation of plants [Die Geschlechten-Vertheilung bei den Pflanzen (1867)].

CD correcting proofs of Variation.

FM likes Ernst Haeckel’s book [Generelle Morphologie (1866)].

Summary

Sends the four volumes [of Brehm’s Thierleben] for Murray’s consideration.

Summary

Thanks WED for a present.

Discusses the Duke of Argyll’s Reign of law [1867].

Is busy revising proofs [of Variation].

Summary

On whether to make woodcuts for Variation in Russia or use Murray’s stereotypes. He has similar advance publication agreements with Carl Vogt, E. A. Rossmässler and Theodor Billroth.

The Russian version of Origin is translated from Bronn’s German edition.

Summary

Approves of type [for Variation]. Pleased to hear from Hooker that he is not surprised that MS is big.

Summary

Sends Naudin’s letter.

Pangenesis.

Benjamin Clarke is mad.

Interested in CD’s Ipomoea experiment.

Scott’s experiments are all in CD’s favour.

Clarifies a sentence in "Insular floras".

Summary

He had no idea that the double function of an excretory passage had played a part in the history of religion.

Summary

Has abstracted for insertion in his sterility chapter [Variation 2, ch. 18], FM’s observations of plant’s pollen being poisonous to itself.

Occurrence of mimetic plants.

Colouring of Planariae.

Summary

Thanks for information on sexual differences.

Orchids; self-sterility and difficulty of getting seeds to germinate.

Dimorphism.

Summary

On the Duke of Argyll and a review of his Reign of law.

Asa Gray’s theological view of variation. God’s role in formation of organisms; JDH’s view of Providence.

Insular and continental genera.

Owen on continuity and ideal types

and on bones of Mauritius deer.

On man.

Summary

Male dotterels take care of young and are less brilliantly coloured than females.

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

Gives up plan to have Haeckel’s Generelle morphologie translated.

His big book [Variation] has gone to printer. Thinks of adding a chapter on man.

Will order Duke of Argyll’s book [Reign of law (1867)].

"Nature never made species mutually sterile [by selection]; nor will man.–"

Summary

Many of EB’s remarks about Origin [4th ed. (1866)] are new to CD.

Thinks of writing a short essay on man.

Struck by EB’s remarks about orang. They are similar to Carl Vogt’s remarks on origin of man from distinct ape families.

Thinks similarity of orang to Malay must be accidental.

Will send Variation when it is published.

Summary

CD writes about stereotypes for German and Russian editions of Variation.