Summary

Thanks for observations on dimorphic plants. Dimorphism prevalent in certain groups throughout the world.

Retarded fertilisation in certain orchids.

Summary

Thanks for information on orchids

and facts on coastal flora and fauna.

Asks FM to look out for dimorphic aquatic and marsh plants.

Has read pamphlets "in our favour" by Carl v. Nägeli and Oscar Schmidt.

Summary

Glad to see Asa Gray’s letter.

Asks whether he may insert a sentence about Cape Verde alpine plants in new edition [4th] of Origin.

Fears "twaddle" may also be the word for his two chapters on cultivated plants. Asks for Crawfurd’s paper.

Summary

Fertilisation in orchids: Friedrich Hildebrand’s paper.

Self-sterility.

Climbing plants.

Agassiz’s attempts to eliminate all Darwinian views.

Summary

Thanks for observations on orchids.

FM’s paper on climbing plants [see 5146]; CD has received proofs.

Carl Claus’s pamphlet on copepods [Die Copepodenfauna von Nizza (1866)].

Summary

Sends his observations on sterility of Eschscholzia,

on Oxalis,

and on recently found dimorphic plants.

Sends specimen of Hedyotis [see Forms of flowers, p. 133].

Summary

His memory deceived him about GB’s statement [on propagation of thistles].

Summary

Sends copies of photographs of himself. Asks for photographs of German naturalists.

Comments on EH’s account of Protogenes primordialis.

Summary

Discusses CD’s and J. D. Hooker’s letters to Lyell concerning Louis Agassiz’s theory of the glaciation of the Amazon basin in Brazil.

Summary

Hopes to make good arrangement for publication of CD’s Variation.

Agassiz claims to have proved all of America was covered with unbroken ice during the glacial period.

Summary

Hildebrand’s paper on trimorphism in Oxalis ["Über den Trimorphismus in der Gattung Oxalis", Monatsber. K. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin (1866): 352–74].

Problems of explaining brightly coloured, attractive seeds.

Haeckel has visited Down.

FM’s climbing plants paper is printed [J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Bot.) 9 (1867): 344–9].

Summary

Thanks CD for invitation. Solicitous of CD’s health. Will let Hooker decide whether CD’s health will allow his visit.

[Alexander] Braun in poor health.

Summary

Thanks for all five numbers of Der Mensch [1866].

Had not known that Rütimeyer had written on modification of species.

Summary

Sends sheets of Origin [4th edition] for CD to correct [for 3d German edition?].

Still has 600 copies of Orchids, but deficit reduced to £30.

Undertakes to pay two-thirds of profits of the [fourth] edition of Origin as soon as one-half of the copies are sold.

Summary

Thinks a new U. S. edition of Origin is needed.

Gives observations on the climbing habits of Bignonia capreolata.

Summary

Comments on errors [in Origin] pointed out in C. J. F. Bunbury’s letters.

Mentions CD’s notes on Drimys, Fuchsia, and fossil mammals of Brazilian caves.

Sorrowful that his work must be put aside because Murray wants a new [4th] edition of Origin. Remarks on changes to be made regarding Organ Mountains and Agassiz’s glacial markings.

Summary

L. Agassiz’s evidence [for glaciation of America] is very weak.

Thanks AG for arranging for American edition of Variation, but doubts that the book will be successful.

Has found no differences in pollen of Rhamnus so cannot conjecture whether it is dimorphic.

The common oxlip of England is certainly a hybrid between the primrose and the cowslip whereas Primula elatior is a good species.

Reports experiments on the relative vigour of seedlings from cross- and self-fertilised plants.

Summary

Assures CD of his belief in descent from his first reading of Origin.

Describes a case of dichogamy.

Summary

On various subjects: Dana’s misquotations,

H. J. Clark’s book Mind in nature [1865],

BDW’s Cynips experiments, galls,

Balbiani’s paper on aphids ["Sur la reproduction et l’embryogénie des pucerons", C. R. Hebd. Acad. Sci. 62 (1866): 1231–4, 1285–9, 1390–4].

Claus and other Germans testing CD’s views of variability in common lower animals.

Summary

Appleton’s cannot alter their plates so as to reproduce revised work [Origin, 4th ed.]. Has made it clear that CD could not do otherwise than object strenuously to course they intend to pursue, and has asked them to return the sheets. Wishes CD’s publisher would supply U. S. market with large numbers of copies, as the English edition could well compete with any American one. Encloses [statement of sales of U. S. edition of Origin to 1 February 1866].