My dear Sir

I write only to thank you for your interesting letter of Feb. 20^th, chiefly about Lepidoptera.¹ I lately permitted the Sec^y. of the Entomological Soc. for London to read some extracts to the Society from two of your letters to me; & he assured me that they interested everyone extremely & gave rise to the best discussion during the season. I have asked him to send you a copy of the Proceedings containing the extracts.² As I do not think you could object, I will send the letter just received to the Sec^y.³ It seems to me a sin to keep your letters for myself alone.—

Very many thanks for the seeds of the Viola; by an odd chance, I have just raised seedlings of Trifolium subterraneum & Arachis hypogæa, & now I shall have a third plant, so as to observe how the flowers penetrate the earth.⁴ For several months my son⁵ & self have been at work on the biology of seedling plants, & observations on the radicles make me wish to observe subterranean flowers,—that is if we can succeed in doing so.—

The seeds of Pontederia will not germinate, & I observed that the paper where each seed lay was stained so I suppose that the whole letter had been pressed too much.⁶

With all good wishes for your health & happiness, believe me | ever yours very sincerely | Charles Darwin