My dear Dyer

The plants arrived last night in first-rate order; & it was very very good of you to take so much trouble as to hunt them up yourself.¹ They seem exactly what I wanted, & if I fail it will not be for want of perfect materials.— But a confounded Painter (I beg his pardon) comes here to night, & for next two days I shall be half dead with sitting to him;² but after then I will begin to work at the plants & see what I can do, & very curious I am about the results.—

I have to thank you for two very interesting letters. I am delighted to hear & with surprise that you care about old Erasmus D.— God only knows what I shall make of his life,—it is such new kind of work to me.—³

Thanks for case of sleeping Crotalaria—new to me.—⁴

I quite agree to every word which you say about Ball’s Lecture— it is as you say like Sir W. Thompson’s meteorite— It is really a pity— it is enough to make geographical Distribution ridiculous in the eyes of the world.—⁵ Frank will be interested about the Auriculas: I never attended to this plant, for the powder did seem to me like true “bloom”.—⁶

This subject, however, for the present only, has gone to the dogs with me.—

I am sorry to hear of such a struggle for existence at Kew; but I have often wondered how it is that you are all not killed outright.—⁷

I can most fully sympathise with you in your admiration of your little girl.— There is nothing so charming in this world, & we all in this house humbly adore our grandchild, & think his little pimple of a nose quite beautiful⁸

with hearty thanks, yours very sincerely Ch. Darwin